The Hero
by mauviafitzwilliamdarcygray
Summary: Warning: Major spoilers for "The One" It's been twenty years since Maxon had his Selection and now it's his son Ryker's turn. He is apprehensive about the whole thing, but at least he has his best friend Cass to help him through. But will they make it through as friends? Or will the Selection tear their friendship apart? Will be updated every day :) PLEASE review!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

As he heard the sound of wood against wood, Ryker imagined the clanging of real metal swords in its place. The sun was setting against the faded yellow stucco walls of the palace, painting everything in a golden hue. He felt safe letting his mind wander because of all of the time he had spent training himself to fight. Two figures danced across the courtyard, swords flying in a complex series of thrusts and parries, each attempting to disarm the other, but Ryker knew who was going to win this fight.

He stared down at his opponent, a smirk sliding across his face. "Oh, you're really going with a backhanded razor blade? What, are we seven now?" he said, referring to a time eleven years ago when he and his opponent had created that very move together. Instead of replying, the figure in the helmet opposite him simply began to fight more aggressively, managing to knock Ryker's wooden sword from his hand. However, his opponent continued to hit him with the sword, causing Ryker to cry out with a laugh as he removed his helmet, "Okay, okay, you win! I'm done!"

The figure regarded him with an air of smug satisfaction while discarding an identical helmet and let a long wavy mane of brown hair come tumbling out. "You let your guard down," she said, raising her eyebrows. "As usual."

"Okay Cass, I'll let you have this one, but I swear I'm going to win next time," he replied with a smile as he picked up his fallen sword and headed back towards the palace doors.

"You know there's no way you'll ever win, as long as you're fighting me."

"Cass is right; your fighting is sub-par at best. I give it a five." A voice chimed in from the shadows, startling Ryker because he had forgotten that his little brother had come out to watch the fight. He charged at Elliott, pinning the smaller boy to the ground and tickling him mercilessly. Elliott continued to scream in laughter until Cass ran over and tried to pull them apart but just ended up getting caught in the tickle fest herself. The three of them rolled over and over in the grass until a servant came to door and called them in for dinner.

* * *

Ryker, Cass, and Elliott walked down the hallway, the two boys still occasionally shoving each playfully into the wall as Cass rolled her eyes. On the way, the two brothers ran straight into their sister Melody, who was coming down from her room, a single speck of bright orange paint on her nose.

"Melody!" Elliott cried. "You missed an awesome fight."

"I'm assuming that's where you got all of those grass stains," Melody replied, looking pointedly at the huge green splotch on her little brother's gray superhero t-shirt.

"You're one to talk," Ryker said good-naturedly, reaching out and rubbing the paint off of her nose with his thumb. "You're kind of a mess yourself, kid."

Melody just sighed. At the age of fourteen, she resented the idea of being called a "kid."

The four of them had made it to the dining room, and Cass reached out to open the wide double doors and step inside, only to be stopped by a servant.

"You are to eat separately from the king and queen tonight. They are otherwise engaged."

Cass closed the door, catching a glimpse of Ryker's parents sitting at the end of the long table, deep in conversation. As the servant began to turn away, Ryker called after him, "Is it about the Southern rebels? Did my parents ask for me?"

"No, Your Majesty, the King and Queen did not specifically ask for you. They wish to discuss matters alone."

Ryker's face fell slightly, but he pulled a smile back onto his face. "Very well, thank you."

"Don't worry about it," Cass said, noticing the troubled look that had crossed her best friend's face. "It's probably just about the Selection."

He hadn't thought about it for a while, but he realized the date was approaching. Soon girls from every province would fill the palace, and he would have to narrow them down to one- the girl who would become his wife and future queen. The custom was an old one, and though his parents had thought about discontinuing the tradition, they believed that seeing the Selection play out would unify the country in this troubled time. But the thought didn't make Ryker feel any better, because though he tried his best to be open-minded, he didn't feel ready to make such a life-changing decision, let alone from a group of girls he had never met before. He had never even really talked to a girl before, save his sister and a few diplomats. And Cass of course, but she was his best friend, so that was different.

Melody's voice broke through his thoughts. "Isn't it so exciting? Soon there's going to be beautiful dresses everywhere and all sorts of romance in the air... and soon I'll have a sister!"

"What have I been all these years?" Cass asked jokingly. "The family dog?"

"Of course not. But you're not my _real_ sister," Melody said.

Elliott broke in, pushing his glasses up onto his nose and giving his sister a supercilious look. "Technically, you'll never have a real sister. Unless Mom and Dad have another baby, but that's not likely to happen."

Ryker looked at Elliott for a moment before he replied. Sometimes the way his little brother talked, he seemed like a wise old man rather than an eleven year old boy. "What are you insinuating?"

"I don't know. It's just that I'm the youngest, and it's been eleven years since I was born. That seems like a long time to wait to have another baby."

"And one day _you _will have babies, and I will be an aunt!" Melody interrupted, still ranting about her brother's non-existent love life. "And my babies will play with your babies, and Cass can be there too!"

"Do I get to have babies?" Cass asked without much interest, pulling her hair up into a messy bun.

"Let's be real here Cass, who would want to marry you?" Ryker teased with a smile.

She replied by shoving him playfully in the bicep, "Enough of that Ry, let's just go eat."

The four of them walked up the stairs that would take them to their respective rooms where their dinners would already be waiting for them. When they reached the first landing, Melody and Elliott continued on to the royal family's rooms on the third floor while Ryker stayed behind to talk to Cass.

"Do you want to eat together? My mom is off having dinner with one of your mom's maids- I think they are old friends or something." Cass asked, not wanting to be alone.

"Sure. My room or yours?"

"Is that even a question?" she laughed. "Why would we eat in my closet of a room when we could eat in yours?"

The two of them laughed as Ryker caught the attention of a maid down the hall. "Excuse me, would you bring Ms. Cassandra's dinner to my room, please?" She nodded and hurried off toward the apartment that contained Cass and her mother's rooms.

After a dinner of roast chicken, rice, and broccoli, the two of them sat on his gigantic bed to talk. As Cass looked around his room, she saw all the parts of him that no one else did. The wall across from his bed was lined with floor to ceiling mahogany bookshelves, and the books on them were neatly organized by author in alphabetical order. She thought about all the books that he had multiple copies of and all the ones he read over and over. Cass took pride in the fact that she could name them all.

"Why are you staring at the wall?" Ryker asked suddenly.

"I wasn't," She retorted quickly. "I was staring at your books."

"Again same question."

"I don't want to talk about me," said Cass, ignoring Ryker's pointed look. "I think we should talk about you. You seemed upset earlier when Melody mentioned the Selection. How are you feeling about it?"

He didn't answer so much as sigh and fall back on the bed in exasperation. "I don't even know!" he said, running his hand through his golden hair rather roughly. "It's like sometimes I think I'm okay with all of this, and other times it's like... like there's something in the way. Does that make any sense?"

"No, not really. Not at all actually. Are you excited to meet all of the girls at least?"

"Absolutely not! I mean maybe," he said, heaving another sigh and closing his sky blue eyes. "I don't even know. How would you feel?"

"Ry, we've been over this. I don't feel feelings. I am the emotionless block. But, if you want to grab the swords and go fight for a little bit, clear your head..." she said, hope creeping into her voice.

"Cass, you're not helping. I know I'm usually the genius in this friendship, but still, give me something here," Ryker turned over to face her, a lazy grin on his face. "Dig deep into your feminine soul for me; I require words of comfort."

She snorted in a most unladylike manner, picking up a pillow and smacking him across the face with it, effectively muffling his words.

"That was a schmancy memory foam pillow. Comforting enough for you?" Cass said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Shut up, Cassandra."

"DO NOT CALL ME CASSANDRA," Cass yelled. She had always had a strong hatred for her given name, and Ryker knew this better than anyone, which is exactly why he chose to use it to get out of situations like this.

He laughed in response. "I only say it with the utmost love and affection, of course. Plus, you can't afford to get mad at me. I'm your only friend after all."

She got up to leave, trying to keep a straight face while saying, "Not anymore. Since we're not friends, I guess I'll just leave." Cass mockingly reaching for the door.

"Fine." He smirked.

"But seriously," she said with no humor in her voice, "Don't think you are getting out of this conversation. We will delve deeply into your emotions next week when the girls get here."

"Maybe," replied Ryker, "That is if I haven't already ditched you for one of them."

"As if you even could if you tried!" She said in lieu of a goodbye before actually leaving the room and half-jogging down the stairs to her part of the palace.

* * *

After Cass left, Ryker picked a book at random from his shelf and tried to get lost in the world of the characters, just like he always did when something was troubling him. But for some reason, the world of fiction didn't have answers for him this time. He pulled himself up off of the bed and went out into the hall, walking until he reached a set of white French doors that had blue curtains covering the glass. He knocked and opened them when he heard his mother tell him to come in.

Ryker stepped through the doorway to see his parents sitting in bed. His mother was reading a book, but she looked up when he came in, brushing strands of red hair out of her eyes. His father was going over papers. Everyone said that he and Ryker looked similar, but his eyes were his mother's. Melody was the one who looked the most like the Queen, right down to their same shade of red hair and blue eyes.

"Hey honey, why are you still up?" said the Queen.

"I was wondering," he began, biting his lip. "Is there any way we could call off the Selection?"

The King looked up from his papers in surprise. "That's what's bothering you? I thought you were okay with the idea."

"Well I was, but then I started thinking, and I'm not sure anymore. It's just a big decision."

His mother looked over at the King before looking back at her son. "It may seem scary, but it worked out well for your father and me." Her gaze wandered over to the opposite wall, where a collage of pictures was displayed. There were pictures of his parents back during their Selection, pictures of him and his siblings, other photos of the palace, especially the gardens, all of which his father had taken with one of his many cameras.

"But you didn't really meet Mom _during _the Selection; you met her _before _it even started! And what if I don't like any of the girls? Or what if none of them like me?"

"Well, you'll never know until you try, will you?" his father said with a small smile.

"The whole thing just seems a little... abrupt?" Ryker began. "Even the first time I meet the girls. Does it really have to be in the middle of breakfast? Can't we just have a party or something?"

"Actually," the Queen said. "That's not a bad idea. It would settle everyone's nerves and let them get to know each other in a stress free environment," she looked towards her husband smiling wider. "I think we can both remember how nervous I was my first night at the palace. Plus, it would give all the girls a chance to dress up before you send the first batch home."

"Not helping."

The King laughed at his son's expression. "Well, I think it's a great idea. I'll tell the staff to start preparing tomorrow."

"And don't worry, Ryker," the Queen said. "We'll be here to help you out whenever you need us."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

**I really hope you all like the story so far! It is going to get exciting soon, and I promise to post every day. PLEASE review (feel free to point out inconsistencies or make suggestions!) and follow this story to get notified when we update! **

**Shoutout to Finley King 22, coffeelover, idk0, and MagnusMagnets for the awesome reviews!**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Cass sat on the edge of the balcony off of the library, swinging her legs between the bars of the rails and over the ledge. Ryker sat behind her, all six feet of him sprawled in a lounge chair. A book was open on his lap, but he wasn't even looking at it. Both of them had their eyes trained on the stately circular driveway, where nine jet-black limousines were pulling through the palace gates.

"So there they are," Ryker said, his mouth a bit dry.

Sensing his nervousness, Cass looked over at him with a sly smile. "Your future wife is in one of those nine limos."

Ryker groaned and got off the chair to go sit beside her, peering through the railing before rising to try to see over the trees in front of them. "Can you see any of them?"

"Nope."

"Midget."

"Being under six feet doesn't make me a midget."

"Whatever you say, Cass," he paused. "Can I ask a favor?"

"What kind of favor?" she asked, narrowing her blue-green eyes in suspicion. "Like that one time when you made me distract the chef so you could steal extra desserts from the fridge sort of favor?"

Ryker took a breath. "Not really. Could you, I don't know, figure out what the girls are like I guess? Do a little bit of scouting for me?"

"Hmmm... that's kind of a big favor. I feel like it might cost you something along the lines of a chocolate cake," she said, playfully bumping him with her shoulder.

"Done," he said. "So what's your plan?"

"Plan? There is no plan, just do," Cass replied, getting up and walking out of the library.

She made her way down the hall until she reached the section that overlooked the foyer. The room was buzzing with activity-guards escorting girls from the cars and stylists running to and fro, with carts of makeup and racks of multi-colored dresses trailing behind them. Cass went down the stairs and joined the crowd, easily blending in.

She wove among the chairs, hearing snatches of conversation as she went.

"Do you think purple makes me look too pale?"

"Definitely go for the blonde highlights."

"This manicure looks awful; orange is a truly horrendous color."

The girls were all chattering excitedly about all sorts of cosmetic things, but she had yet to hear a word about her best friend. Two brunettes were standing next to a shelf of shoes, clearly trying to choose which pair to put on. She was about to pass them by when she heard them mention Ryker's name, so she ducked behind a tower of boxes to listen.

"I'm excited to meet Prince Ryker!," the girl with the shorter hair said.

"Yeah, yeah, but now, shoes!" the other said and they both started giggling.

_They don't care about him at all_. Cass realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach. She moved on, coming around the corner and nearly running over Melody, who appeared to be literally bouncing up and down with excitement, brown eyes shining.

"Cass!" She exclaimed, "What are _you _doing here?"

"Me? What are _you _doing here? You're not supposed to meet the girls until the party when your whole family meets them."

"I just wanted to sneak a peek!" Melody said with a pout while going up on the tips of her toes and trying to look around Cass at the girls.

"Come on," Cass said grabbing Melody by the arm and pulling her down the hall and away from the excitement. Melody body reluctantly followed but her head was turned desperately trying to see her future sister. "I think Ryker could use some company."

They went back to the library, knowing that's where they would find Ryker and Elliott. Sure enough, the two boys were sitting on the floor with a deck of cards in between them, playing a complicated looking game of Elliott's invention. The windows were open, letting in the light and warm breeze from outside. Ryker seemed distracted, constantly glancing over to the windows whenever he heard voices from below.

Elliott tapped his arm, pulling him back into the game. "Come on, it's your turn again!"

"Give him a break Elliott," Cass said from the doorway before walking over to join them on the plush, Arabian carpet. Melody hovered by the door, thinking of something appropriate to say. Cass had made it very clear on the way over that anything Melody would say about the excitement going on downstairs would just make things worse for Ryker, so she was to keep her mouth shut.

"Cass, you're back!" Ryker said excitedly as he jumped up from the floor in one, quick move and ushered her out onto the balcony. "How are they? Are they pretty? What do they look like? Wait, don't tell me! Wait, yes. Wait, I..."

"Calm down!" she shouted to cut him off. "If you freak out any more you will hyperventilate."

His face fell into a sad look that made her stomach lurch. "Did you find out something... something bad?" He only just whispered the last word so it was barely audible.

"Ry, listen," Cass captured his attention by grabbing his shoulders. "I need more time to formulate a coherent hypothesis on the status of your love life." She was trying her best to keep a straight face but let a small smile creep out, and then they both were laughing.

"Come on, please? Just tell me something," he wheedled after they stopped laughing, blue eyes pleading with her.

_If he wants the truth..._Cass thought. "Well, to be honest, they're all self-centered, stuck-up brats who don't care about you at all," she said bluntly, knowing no other way to be. "But they're girls, and you're an eighteen-year-old boy, so you'll definitely like them."

Ryker turned away from her. "Cass this isn't a joke. This is my life we're talking about here! My future! You're supposed to be my friend and help me out."

"That's what I was trying-" Cass began.

"No, Cass. Can you just go? I want to spend some time with my family," Ryker said, not even sparing her a glance.

"Sure, if that's what you want, Your Majesty," Cass spat the last word.

Ryker turned around at the last moment to see her curtsy mockingly, before turning and stalking out the door, slamming it behind her.

* * *

Cass was still thinking about her fight with Ryker later that night as a swarm of maids was buzzing around her to get her ready for what was now being called the "Selection Ball." She decided to distract herself from it by contemplating just how much she hated getting dressed up. If she had the choice, she would be going to the ball in jeans and a t-shirt or skipping it altogether. But she knew how important it was to Ryker for her to be there.

She looked in the mirror at the dress that she had most unwillingly put on. It was the simplest dress the maids could find, at her request. It was a muted dove gray, with thin halter-style straps that crossed over her shoulder blades. As all the dresses were, the hem just brushed the floor, and a teal ribbon went around her waist, which brought out her ocean-colored eyes and matched the one that her maids had skillfully woven into her braided updo.

Cass smoothed out the silky material and turned to see the head maid in front of her, brandishing what was apparently an "eyelash curler" but looked more like an instrument of torture to Cass. She instinctively backed away, nearly tripping in the matching gray heels she was forced to wear.

"I asked for as little makeup as possible," she said, still eyeing the tool in her maid's hand warily.

"Very well, miss," the maid said with a sigh. "But the mascara is simply non- negotiable."

Her makeup only took a few short minutes to finish because of its simplicity, but her maids used and extra ten just to "fix" their work. After her face was "as good as it was going to get"- as her maids always said- and her maids had been dismissed, she looked at herself in the mirror, the completed picture. Her makeup was indeed light, but her face still looked unrecognizable, her eyes brighter and her features softer. She looked like a lady, or god forbid one of the Selected. The Selected... she remembered her fight with Ryker.

_I _have _to apologize, _she thought. _There is no way I can let him go through this night alone. _In all the times Cass had fought with her best friend she had never apologized first. She always held out until Ryker came crawling back on his own. It made her feel like the stronger of the two, something that was important to her.

She started down the hallway to the staircase that led up to the third floor and to Ryker's bedroom. She had just reached the first step when she heard a voice from somewhere down the hall.

"Hey!" said the strange, unfamiliar voice. "We aren't allowed on the third floor. That's where the royal family lives. Weren't you listening to Silvia earlier?"

Cass turned around surprised yet annoyed, true to her nature. "I think you have me mistaken for someone else," she said to the voice that now had a face. She was speaking to a short blonde girl with big brown eyes that made her look innocent,- Cass hated her already- and her dress was a soft pink color with a matching lace wrap over her shoulders.

Cass turned back and started up the stairs, ignoring the girl's protests. "Seriously, do you _want _to be the first one sent home?"

Cass turned back around, even more annoyed at the thought of having to explain herself to this girl. Before either of them could say anything Cass saw the girl stare passed her with a gaping mouth. "Your Majesty," she said, sinking into a deep curtsy.

"It is quite alright," said Ryker as he began down the steps. He looked older and regal in his black suit and black bowtie. "But I do believe we are not to meet until the ball, so why don't you head down to the ballroom." The girl nodded and left, but not before she heard the prince say to Cass, "I need to talk to you first."

"Look, I just wanted to say-" Ryker began, just as Cass said, "I didn't mean..."

They both stopped, waiting for the other to start again. Ryker opened his mouth to speak, but Cass cut in. "Let me."

"No, really, it was me," Ryker started, but stopped when Cass glared at him.

"Just let me have this one, okay?" He nodded, and she took a deep breath. "I shouldn't have been that harsh about the girls earlier today. You know I don't like change, and I don't want the girls to ruin our friendship. Then I wouldn't be able to kick your ass when we train, which currently is the highlight of my day," she finished with a tentative smile. "And if it helps, that one who you just sent away seemed pretty nice."

Ryker laughed. "Really? I hardly noticed. Speaking of which, you look... different. Maybe I need to start calling you Cassandra again, it's more girly," he said, looking at the dress she was wearing.

Cass hit him lightly on the arm. "Shut up, you know I hate my real name."

"I know. Can you walk me down to meet my family?"

"Sure."

"Let's take the back stairs. Wouldn't want any of the other girls to see us together and get jealous," he said teasingly.

When they reached the room, the Queen immediately came over to Ryker, adjusting his tie and smoothing down his blonde hair. "You look great, honey."

"Well, I feel like this tie is strangling me," Ryker said, shifting uncomfortably and tugging at his sleeves, clearly uncomfortable. "Why couldn't I wear normal clothes?"

"I know the feeling," Cass said, gingerly touching the braids in her hair. "What I wouldn't give for a pair of jeans right now."

Just then the King walked in. "You sound just like my America," he said to Cass, going over to the Queen and kissing her cheek. "She's still not used to all of the dresses."

Cass looked over at the Queen and noticed that her outfit was indeed very simple. The dress looked very similar to hers, except that it was blue. The contrast to Melody's extravagant gown and jeweled hair- the same red as her mother's- was striking.

"My mom is waiting for me in the ballroom, so I should probably go in there," said Cass. Then she walked over to Ryker. "I'll see you in there, Ry."

"Wish me luck," was all he said in reply.

"I refuse to!" Cass said jokingly. "I firmly believe that you don't need it."

Then she walked out the door and the short distance down the hall to where the ball was being held. As she approached she saw the stream of girls in bright, colorful dresses walking down the stairs. The sound of thirty-five pairs of heels hitting the marble floors resounded throughout the foyer. Cass dashed through the big double doors and into the ballroom before any of them could see her.

The huge ballroom was completely transformed for the occasion, looking completely different than it did on an ordinary day. There were panels of gold fabric covering the walls, and delicate streamers draped decoratively on the large crystal chandeliers. Music floated softly from the end of the room, where the orchestra was just beginning to warm up. Tables of snacks and drinks were spread throughout the room, and guards in their dress uniforms were standing together against one of the walls, waiting to dance with the Selected girls. On the far wall there were two steps leading up to a platform with two thrones on it- one for the King and one for the Queen.

Cass saw her mother standing near one of the tables, talking to one of the guards, probably a friend of her father. She turned as Cass approached, smiling and sweeping her blonde hair over one shoulder. "Hi honey, you look so beautiful," she said.

"You too, Mom," Cass replied. Her mother did look stunning in a long black dress.

Cass turned around, hearing the sound of heels and laughter across the ballroom. The Selected had arrived. There were blondes and brunettes, tall girls and short girls. Cass was not very interested in any of them. She did notice, however, that there were no red headed girls in the group. _This is best_, she thought, _now Queen America and her daughter will stand out even more. _Cass scanned the crowd of girls again to see if any of them stood out to her as good for Ryker, but she had no success. They just looked like a group of girls! She suddenly became very interested in her glass of champagne, trying desperately to avoid staring at the girls. She was so absorbed by the swirling liquid in her glass that she didn't even notice the girl who had come up to her.

"Hi, my name is Rose, Lady Rose." It was the girl she had met by the stairs, her chocolate eyes wide and sweet.

"I can see that," said Cass, indicating the sparkly silver pin attached to the strap of her dress that read "Lady Rose".

Rose looked down at her pin and smiled. "I noticed that you don't have a pin, which would mean..."

"No, I am not one of the Selected." Cass said this in a superior manner, annoyed at the fact that Rose would even think she was like those girls.

"I am truly sorry about what I said earlier!" Rose was panicking now. "It was not my place." When Cass said nothing she looked confused and added, "So are you a relative of the King and Queen? I thought we weren't supposed to meet the extended family until later on?"

"You think I'm a royal?" Cass laughed at the outrageous idea.

Rose began to reply, "Well if you're not a royal then who...," but Cass never heard the end of her sentence because the room had gone silent and everyone turned to face the closed double doors, knowing exactly who stood behind them waiting.

Silvia stood in front of the doors with a microphone in hand. "Ladies," she said. "Honored guests..." She looked around the room a bit to build anticipation. "Presenting the Royal family of Illea" The doors opened and she introduced each member as they walked in, pausing between each one. "King Maxon and Queen America... Princess Melody... Prince Elliott... and Prince Ryker."

Cass watched her best friend walk into the ballroom with an air of confidence that only she could tell was fake. One look at his eyes and she knew he was terrified out of his mind. She thought about the fact that he had never been in a room with this many girls at one time. The horror! Ryker gave a small smile to the crowd and walked up to take his place on the couch next to his parents' thrones.

Cass saw Melody mingling with all the girls and Elliott standing off at a distance, taking it all in. She realized that there was no longer anything to keep Rose from finishing her sentence and quietly went to join Elliott on the other side of the room.

"This is quite a party," she said while he continued staring at all the girls.

After a long pause he replied. "One day this will be me. It will be my Selection and my decision. I think that's what I want." He didn't sound entirely sure of himself.

"Elliott, why would you want this?" Cass asked, looking down at him quizzically. "Why chose from a random group of girls when you can find love for yourself?"

"It's not like I have the opportunity to meet a lot of girls. Me and Ry... the only girl we know is you."

_Not for long, _she thought.

When Ryker caught sight of Cass standing by his brother, his stomach settled, and he was filled with relief. He gave her the biggest, goofiest smile she had ever seen and waved for her to come over. She giggled- something she rarely did because it was ridiculously girly- and made a pathway through the crowd to her best friend. She walked slowly, not wanting to trip over her heels, and slowed down even more when she heard the murmurs. All the Selected girls were eyeing her suspiciously, and a wave of whispers was spreading throughout the room.

"Which one is she?"

"I don't remember seeing her picture on the report..."

"_I_ wanted to be the first one to meet him!"

"That better be his cousin..."

"Who THE HELL is THAT?"

_Are they talking about me? _Cass thought looking around at the girls with a face that was more confused than anything else. _How could they possibly be talking about me? I'm not the competition... _

Ryker immediately saw the confusion on her face. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing. This is all just so..."

"Exciting? Elaborate? Extraordinary?" he guessed smiling. "Melody used all-of-the-above to describe the whole ordeal."

"Just different, I guess."

"Okay well, have fun and cheer up. I am about to start meeting the girls, and I need your help later to narrow them down," he joked. "And I don't want you to be all depressing."

"Fine," she said. "I'll meet you in your room later. Okay, Ry?"

"Perfect!" He turned his attention to his left where his mother and father sat. "I'm ready."

Cass recognized this as her cue to go, and she returned to the table where her mother sat. She watched as the girls were called up one by one to meet the prince. Cass rarely thought of her best friend as a prince, but that's what he was at this moment. He looked royal while he met with each of the girls, and he acted differently than he did when it was just the two of them, alone. And that bothered her, though she wasn't exactly sure why.

_One of these girls will be his princess._ The thought kept circling through her head as she watched the girls go up to him one by one. She judged each of the Selected as they talked to Ryker, making up her mind about each of them in a matter of seconds. One girl was too perky, one was too slutty, and at least five of them were too blonde. She had never had anything against blondes before, considering her best friend was blonde, but she couldn't stand all these blonde girls.

When it was Rose's turn to meet Ryker she watched closely, since Cass had already met her. _They look good together, _she thought. Their blonde hair matched perfectly. Rose was the "tolerable blonde". They were deep in a conversation that must have been interesting because they would both smile every few seconds. She even made him laugh, something none of the other girls had done. _I can always make him laugh, _she thought. Cass decided to stop watching the girls and have a conversation with her mother instead.

* * *

The room looked bigger from the couch in the corner of the ballroom where he sat. Ryker had met with eighteen girls already, and he was waiting for number nineteen. Silvia told him to spend only a few minutes with each girl so it wouldn't take all night. He kept the meetings short by asking a standard four questions: What is your name? What province are you from? What do you like to do for fun? And how was your first night at the palace? So far none of the girls stood out to him. He wanted to ask his parents what they thought, but they were dancing. Everyone was dancing- even Melody found a guard to dance with. The only person not dancing was Cass who sat across the room watching him. He smiled; he should've known she would be the only one not on the dance floor. She would much rather be working on her sword technique than dancing. She gave him a reassuring smile as the nineteenth girl walked up to meet him.

"Your Majesty," said a blonde girl with big brown eyes as she curtsied.

"Please call me Prince Ryker," he said gesturing for her to sit next to him. She picked up her rose colored skirts and walked up the two stairs to the couch and sat down.

"Prince Ryker, I am Lady Rose."

He tried to lock that information in his mind: Rose, blonde hair, pink dress. "And what province do you come from, Lady Rose?"

"I come from Carolina," she said enthusiastically.

"Oh, my mother comes from Carolina! Did you know that?" he asked.

"Yes, I did." She looked down at her hands. "I'm a big fan of the Queen. I read about her all the time."

"So you like to read?" Ryker took note that this conversation was moving more smoothly than his conversations with all the other girls.

"I love to read!" she said, brown eyes lighting up. "Back when the caste system was in place, both my parents came from families of threes. Now they teach at the college by our house."

"Is that what you would like to do? Teach like your parents?" Ryker was aware that this was exceeding his four standard questions.

"Oh yes! I want to teach children though, not college like my parents."

"I would love to show you one of the libraries one day," he said.

"That would be wonderful."

Over Rose's shoulder Ryker could see Silvia giving him a look. He knew exactly what it meant: _move on to the next girl._

"Well," he stood up, offering Rose his hand. "Lovely to meet you, Lady Rose. I hope to see you again soon."

Rose blushed and curtsied. "Me too, Prince Ryker." Then she was gone, and the twentieth girl was coming to meet him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

**Please review and follow this story to get updates! Another shoutout to coffeelover: you are awesome!**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Later that night, after the ball was over, Cass came to Ryker's room. They sat down on his couch together to talk. He realized it was strangely similar to when he was sitting down to talk to all of the girls at the ball. But this was Cass, she was different- in a good way- more familiar and more comfortable to be around. Ryker had sent a maid to get them two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, a nighttime tradition from their childhood.

"So," Cass said after taking a sip from her mug. "How was it meeting all of the girls?"

"Well I survived. It wasn't as frightening as I thought it was going to be."

"Anyone stand out to you?" Cass felt slightly uncomfortable with this strange new subject. There had never been any girls for Ryker to talk about and now, suddenly there were thirty-five. Cass was moving into uncharted territory, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Uh," Ryker mumbled, seeming to feel just as uncomfortable as Cass was. "There were a few that I liked."

"Well, are you going to tell me about them, or is this supposed to be a telepathic thing?" Cass asked, beginning to lose patience.

"No, sorry," Ryker said, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. "Okay, so I liked Lucie."

There was a moment of silence between them. "Again, going to elaborate on that at all? Which one was she?"

"She was a tall brunette in a yellow dress and very easy to have a conversation with. And I liked Scarlett too."

"_Please_ don't tell me she was the one in the red dress. That would be terribly unoriginal. 'Look, Scarlett looks amazing in scarlet,'" she mocked in a girly voice.

That got Ryker to laugh really hard, tension leaving his shoulders as he smiled over at her. "See, I knew we could get through this together!"

Cass smiled back wryly. "Of course, I'll be waiting with a box of tissues and a carton of ice cream for when you come crying to me about your girl problems."

"Great, looking forward to it," Ryker said. "Oh, there was one other girl I liked. Her name was Rose, a short blonde in a pink dress."

"What was special about her?" Cass asked, a bit more sharply than she had intended, but Ryker didn't seem to notice. He seemed a little lost in thought, but his face was much more animated than it had been while talking about any of the other girls.

"She and I seem to have a lot in common. She loves to read and wants to see the library sometime. Plus she seems really sweet." He snapped back into reality. "Cass, I want to ask to see her... tomorrow! We can go to the library, and I can show her all my favorite books!"

Cass wasn't thrilled by the idea, but seeing Ryker happy made her happy. "That sounds great!"

"Really?" Ryker asked.

"Of course. If you like her, get the show on the road. Get a maid to send her a date invitation tonight," she said, leaning back against the couch cushions.

"I want you to come with me." When he saw the shocked look on Cass's face he explained further. "Not to stay the whole time, just to meet her. I want my future wife, whoever she may be, to know my best friend."

Cass honestly thought that sounded like an awful idea for a first date, especially after the whispers she had heard when she was talking to Ryker at the ball. But she stifled her urge to say exactly what was on her mind because if this was what he really wanted, how could she say no?

"Okay."

"Okay!" Then he hugged her quickly before calling a maid to send the invitation.

* * *

Rose opened her door to find Prince Ryker looking absolutely handsome in more casual attire- a blue plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows with khaki pants- and holding a fresh, beautiful red rose.

"A rose for my Rose," he said smoothly as he expertly tucked it into her hair. He had to get lessons from a maid on how to do that.

"Wow! It's lovely."

"Not quite as lovely as you are, I'm afraid," Ryker recited the very line he had practiced in the mirror no less than ten times. He had counted on her complimenting the flower that she was named after.

She just smiled as he offered her his arm. "Shall we go to the library?"

"I read in a book that the palace has more than five libraries," Rose said excitedly. "Is that true?"

"I believe there are seven," he replied. "But only three are worth visiting, the others are very small."

He took her to his favorite library. It wasn't the biggest one, but it had a little secluded nook in front of a panel of windows where he could sit and read for hours at a time. He knew Rose would like it. It was on the second floor and had an amazing view of the western palace wall and overlooked the gardens. He always kept two comfortable armchairs here, one for him and one for Cass. He offered his chair to Rose and sat down in Cass's.

They were in the middle of a conversation about her family back home- a mom, a dad, and a 9-year-old brother named Mason- when Ryker heard a crash as a pile of books fell over on the other side of one of the shelves.

Ryker smiled and cut Rose off. Looking over his shoulder, he called, "Were you planning on joining us or just sneaking around the entire time?"

Rose was about to ask him who he was talking to when Cass stepped out from behind the bookcase in question, tucking a strand of brown hair behind her ear.

"Rose," he said with a voice smooth like silk. "I would like you to meet my best friend, my only friend really, which is kind of sad, Cassandra America Leger. Although if you call her Cassandra, she will slit your throat when you're not looking."

Cass caught sight of Rose's frightened face and explained. "He is only joking. About the sword anyway. Please, call me Cass." She turned to Ryker and teased. "As if I could cut her throat with my _wooden_ sword even if I wanted to."

Ryker had almost forgotten Rose was there and started when she said, "Your middle name... is America?"

"What?" said Ryker, who clearly had not been paying attention. "Oh, yes. She is named after my mother."

"Our parents are like family," Cass explained, noticing the confusion in Rose's face.

"And you came to visit for the Selection Ball?" asked Rose.

Ryker laughed as he said, "God, no. She would've skipped the whole thing if she'd had the option. She lives here."

"All the time?" Rose was still shocked.

Ryker and Cass had never thought of their situation anything but normal. As long as Ryker could remember, Cass was there. They had grown up together, played together, and were schooled together just like his brother and sister. They had never even thought about how their situation looked from the outside because Cass and Ryker were family. It was that simple.

"I'm sorry," Cass said suddenly. "I completely interrupted your date. I have to go train anyway." She looked to Rose. "It was nice to meet you... again."

Then Cass turned and dashed out of the awkward situation before Rose could ask any more questions.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Cass was sitting on her bed, sketchpad in hand, drawing whatever came into her head. It was her way of keeping a journal. She wasn't very good with words most of the time, so she used the pictures to record her thoughts instead. Plus, it sounded far less girly if she called it a "sketchbook" rather than a journal or, God forbid, a diary.

She was in the middle of a picture of the view from the windows of Ryker's favorite spot in the library, when someone knocked on her door. She stood up and groaned, rubbing her shoulders, which were sore from working out earlier, before reaching out to open the door. Ryker was leaning on the doorframe, a huge grin on his face.

"Whoa there," she said, shielding her eyes. "Your happy glow is actually blinding me right now."

"You're just jealous," he teased. When she didn't say anything in response, he pushed her aside and went to sit down in the oversized stuffed armchair.

"So I'm guessing the date went well?" Cass said, shutting the door and collapsing back onto her bed.

"Splendidly," Ryker said.

"Even after I crashed it?"

"Of course. I think your sudden, if slightly inelegant, appearance rather improved the whole thing," he said with a crooked smile.

"I don't know about that. I got the impression that Rose found it rather awkward," Cass said. "In fact, promise me you'll never take me on another one of your dates again."

"Really? Why?" he asked, face falling slightly.

"I don't know, it was just kind of uncomfortable for both of us I think."

"But you said we'd be in this together." His voice sounded a little panicked now. "You aren't totally backing out right?"

Cass bit her lip, thinking. "How about this, once you get down to the Elite, I'll meet all of them." Ryker relaxed a little at her words. "But not until then. Promise?"

"Absolutely." Ryker came over and sat behind her, looking at her sketchbook over her shoulder. "How's the drawing coming?"

"Not my best work," she said, tapping her pencil against the paper impatiently. "I can't seem to get the perspective right."

He opened his mouth to speak, but whatever he was going to say was lost as the screaming sound of an alarm filled the air. They looked at each other, eyes wide. They both knew what that alarm meant. _The Rebels are here in the palace. _

Cass's looked around her room, trying desperately to find a weapon somewhere, something she could fight with, but Ryker had taken her hand and was dragging her out of the room.

"No," she cried, trying to twist out of his grip. "I've got a real sword in my closet somewhere, just let me find it."

"There's no time, we have to get to a safe room," he shouted over the wailing of the alarm, pulling her harder until they were out in the hallway. Then they were sprinting around the corner and down the stairs, already hearing screaming coming from the other end of the palace.

As she ran, Cass's mind couldn't help but wander back to another rebel attack just like this- _Ryker pulling her to a safe room, hearing shouts from the guards as they tried to protect the royals from the attackers. She remembered the voice of one guard in particular, the last time she would ever hear it…_

"Cass!" Ryker's voice jolted her back into reality. He had punched the code into the hidden panel that led to the safe room and had the door open. "What are you doing? Get in!"

She stepped through the opening in the wall, and Ryker slammed the door behind her, driving the bolt home to lock it. The moment they were safe, Cass dropped to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on her arms. She tried to take deep breaths as Ryker came over and sat down beside her, gently placing a consoling hand on her shoulder. He had been with her during countless rebel invasions and had seen her become panicked like this before. Ryker knew that if he tried to hug her- his go to move - she would push him away.

He knew as well as she did what was going through her mind every time the rebels attacked...

_Cass and Ryker are playing in the library when the alarms start sounding. Silvia bursts through the doors, telling them to go to the nearest safe room before rushing off to find Melody._

_As they are running through the hall hand in hand, Cass sees her father talking quickly to the queen. The queen spots her and points at her saying, "Aspen, the children!" just as Cass is screaming for her daddy. Ryker is tugging at her hand, trying to get her to move on, but Cass refuses to leave. They hear more shouts from down the hall, and a group of armed men in dirty rags run toward the queen and her guard. Cass's father looks back at her and then pushes the queen into the arms of another guard, shouting at him to get her to safety. He doesn't get the opportunity to turn around and fight because a shot resounds through the hall, and Cass's father falls to his knees. _

_Cass lets out a scream. Ryker finds all the strength he has and scoops Cass up in his arms like a baby, letting her cry into his shoulder and soon they are locked in the nearest safe room. She beats against the door, wanting to go back and find her father, but Ryker pulls her down to sit beside him. _

_She falls asleep, exhausted in the arms of her best friend, and that night she dreams of the last sound her father made; a pathetic whimper of pain rather than a proud battle cry. When she wakes up, she promises herself that she will always be tough and ready to fight if the rebels ever come back. _

Cass woke up in Ryker's arms just as she had on the night her father died, ten years ago. He had fallen asleep at some point during her flashback, but his arms were still around her protectively, and her head was resting on his chest. She focused on the steady sound of his beating heart while she waited for Ryker to wake up. Cass didn't dare wake him up herself. He looked so peaceful when he slept; the worry lines that sometimes graced his forehead disappeared, and any fears he had about the future didn't seem to matter anymore. She noticed that his blue, button down shirt was wrinkled from all the running they had done.

Ryker turned his head toward her and groaned groggily. He was coming back to consciousness as if he had sensed that she was awake. "Hey," he said, his voice still hoarse from sleep. "You're awake."

"Ry..." Cass began not really sure what to say.

"Yeah."

"I've been... thinking about my dad." As she said this, her vision blurred slightly and she felt her eyes start to water- something that only happened when she thought about her father. She looked up at the light above her, attempting to shut down the emotions that were threatening to spill over.

"I've been thinking about him too... and the night he died."

At the mention of her father's death Cass went tense all over and a single tear ran down her cheek.

"Shh... shh... It's okay, we're okay," Ryker said as he held her tighter while she desperately tried to wipe it away.

"God, I was so angry that night!" she said once she was able, trying to channel her sadness into rage instead.

"I was scared."

"Scared? You _saved_ me that night. I was just a little kid, and I wanted..." she hesitated a little on the next words yet she pushed on, "my dad. I would've stayed in that hallway and gotten killed if it wasn't for you."

"That's exactly why I was scared. I wasn't scared for me. I was scared for my mom and my dad, my brother and sister, but mainly, I was scared for you." He had a few tears running down his cheeks too at this point. "I never would've forgiven myself if you didn't make it."

Cass stayed silent for a few minutes just listening to the beat of his heart beneath her head.

"Is this all my fault?" Ryker asked suddenly. "I'm sure the rebels are here because of the Selection. What if one of the girls gets hurt? It's my fault they're all in danger!"

"No, Ry, listen to me." Cass turned so she was looking right into his blue eyes. "None of this is your fault. As for the girls, they knew the risks before they came here, and they know that it will get ten times worse once one of them is the princess."

"I guess I expected them to attack sometime during the Selection, just not this early on."

That was just like Ry, to take all of the responsibility onto his shoulders, trying to be the hero from one of his books. "You know, I've only ever had you and my mom to worry about, but you have to worry about your whole family _and _thirty-five other girls," she said.

"Thirty-six," he corrected.

"What?"

"Thirty-six girls to worry about," he repeated, a smile spreading across his face, lighting up his eyes. "I think you forgot about my favorite girl."

"Who? _Lady Rose_?" Cass said mockingly.

"No! It's you of course," Ryker said simply, looking down at her, confused as to why Cass would think otherwise.

Just as Cass was pondering the idea of Ryker constantly worrying about her, the automated door clicked open and a guard peered inside. "Your Majesty!" he said in a relieved voice. "We nearly searched the entire palace for you. We were worried when you weren't in the room with the Selected."

"Thank you, Officer," the prince said in reply. "Please tell my mother and father that Cass and I are alright."

The guard nodded and walked off to find the King and Queen. Ryker crawled out of the small room before offering his hand to Cass. _I wonder if the guard ever knew my father, _she thought- as she usually did when she encountered a guard up close.

"I should probably go check on all of the girls, but I can help you find your mom if you like."

"I'll be fine, Ry." she said.

Then, unexpectedly, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Tell me I won't lose you," he whispered.

She let a smile slide onto her face as she replied. "You can't get rid of me that easy. I'm not going anywhere."

He returned his smile with relief before turning, jogging down the hall, and leaving Cass alone.

* * *

Ryker sat in his reading nook trying to figure out what book to read. He needed something to get lost in, to calm him down, after talking to all of the girls. Apparently the attack affected a lot of the girls emotionally. More than half of the girls had asked to go home, leaving only fifteen. To the public eye, the attack must have seen out of the blue since the number of attacks had decreased dramatically since his father had become King. Not many people would've suspected an attack from the beginning, but he had. He picked up _A Tale of Two Cities_, one of the only classics left over after the last great war. He dove into the world of words and became so absorbed in the pages that he didn't hear the click of heels on the floor as someone approached.

"Prince Ryker?" said a soft voice.

He looked up to find Rose, one of the fifteen girls left, wearing a light pink, floral dress. "Don't tell me you wish to go home too?" He asked, disappointment creeping into his voice.

"What? No!" she exclaimed. "Are people really going home?"

"Unfortunately, yes. About half of you girls actually..." His face dropped a bit more.

"That many girls have never left this early on in any Selection." she said, no doubt referring to the extensive research she had done on the subject. "That must break a record."

She began to laugh- she had a soft, quiet laugh, just like her voice, he noted- making it clear that she was attempting to make a joke. Ryker didn't find it funny, but he laughed a little just to indulge her.

"You wanted to ask me something?" he asked remembering that she came in here for some reason.

"I was only wondering if I could sit and read with you," Rose said hopefully.

"Of course you can, Lady Rose."

She moved to sit down in the seat next to him, in Cass's chair...

"Wait!" he exclaimed making her start. He quickly pulled himself together to say, "Here take my seat, it has a better view. I'll sit there."

She took his seat, and he took Cass's, and they read their respective books together, not saying a word, but sharing a moment.

* * *

A week after the rebel attack, Cass sat on the balcony of an upstairs library with her sketchbook and a sharpened pencil. She felt the need to draw something, but she had absolutely no inspiration. From where she was sitting, Cass could see the entirety of the gardens sprawled out beneath her. Surely she could draw something in the garden, she'd done it enough times before, yet still nothing seemed right enough to put on the paper.

Upon closer examination, Cass could see the King and Queen taking a stroll in the garden. This must be a special occasion, since it seemed like they were always working. They looked so happy, King Maxon in his usual gray suit, stopping to take pictures as they went, and Queen America on his arm, looking like the happiest woman in the world. He turned to her with his camera perched and caught the perfect picture of her laugh. When she laughed her eyes crinkled ever so slightly at the corners. Cass thought of Ryker, who had the same eyes as his mother. They, too, crinkled when he laughed- which was precisely the reason she loved to make him laugh.

Cass kept the image of her best friend laughing in her mind as she began to draw. Her hands seemed to know what she drawing before she did. Her fingers made the pencil dance across the paper with an elegant grade. She drew his eyes first, and the rest of his face followed. She had a bit of trouble with his mouth though, not exactly the shape of it but his lips in particular. Cass had memorized every inch of the prince's face except his lips. Getting frustrated, she left the drawing unfinished and closed her sketchbook for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **

**Get ready for lots of new characters and old characters in this chapter :) **

**Please review and follow the story!**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Ryker had already been on three dates with Rose- he had only been on one with each of the other girls- and yet they still hadn't really talked. They spent most of their time just reading together, each of them with a different book. Ryker decided he needed to do something to stimulate the conversation. And that is how he found himself walking to her room on a sunny, Monday afternoon.

He mustered up a bit of confidence and knocked three times on her door. One of her maids answered with a shocked face. "Your Majesty!" she exclaimed before calling over her shoulder to Lady Rose. The maid turned back to Ryker and said, "I will leave you two alone."

Rose came to the door as her maid left. She was wearing a yellow floral dress today with lots of green accents that made her hair look even more golden. "Prince Ryker," she said with a smile. "To what do I owe wonderful visit?"

"I have a present for you," he said indicated the book in his hand. It was bound with smooth blue leather, and the title was etched in gold.

"Oh! A book!" Rose practically squealed with delight.

"This is not just any book," said the prince. "This is my absolute favorite book. It is the book that inspires me, calms me, and pulls me in every time I read it. I can't even count the number of times I have read this book."

"Are you sure you want to give this to me?"

"Woah, don't get too excited," he joked. "This strictly a loan, so you can read it and we can talk about it."

She reached out to take the book. "I can't wait to start it."

"Why don't you start it now?" Ryker suggested. "I have some work to do anyway."

"Okay. Thank you for the book."

'It was truly my pleasure, Lady Rose," he said as he took her hand, lifted her fingers to his mouth, and kissed her knuckles softly.

* * *

"It's all rather exciting! Don't you think?"

Rose smiled. "Yes, I think so," she said to the regal, fair-skinned girl next to her named Tessa. Rose suspected she spent time in Europe because she had a soft accent when she spoke.

Earlier that day Silvia had told the girls that the Queens family would be visiting for Thanksgiving. They would arrive next Wednesday, but the girls would not get to meet them until Friday, during a picnic in the gardens. It was going to be a casual event, but for the girls it was terribly important because for one of them, it would be the first time they would meet the group of people who would become their extended family someday.

The Selected girls were all sitting in the Women's Room, all spread out doing different activities. Rose was reading of course, trying to finish the book that Ryker had given her as soon as possible so that they could have a discussion about it. Scarlett and Kiera were sitting on the couch across from her, deep in conversation. Suddenly, they both got up and came to sit on either side of her.

"Hey, Rose," Kiera said. "We wanted to ask you about Prince Ryker."

"Specifically, about you and the prince," Scarlett added, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"I don't know what you mean," Rose said quietly. She had an idea as to where the conversation was going and didn't like it much.

"How is it that you've been on three dates with Prince Ryker already, but the rest of us have only had one?" Kiera was making no attempt to keep her voice down, and some of the other girls were starting to stare, clearly interested in her response.

"I guess he just likes me," Rose said, her voice getting higher at the end of her sentence as if she was asking a question.

"Honey, that can't be all," Scarlett said. "He's supposed to be spending time with all of us, but instead he spends half his time with you and the other half... who knows what he's been doing. What's your secret?"

Now everyone was really looking at her. Rose's thoughts were racing, so she latched onto the one part of Scarlett's statement that didn't concern her. "He spends the other half of his time with Cassandra," she blurted out, more loudly than she had intended.

Kiera and Scarlett looked at each other. "Who are you talking about? I don't think there is a Cassandra."

"Is she that girl who never talks to anyone?" Kiera wondered aloud.

"No," Rose explained. "She's not even part of the Selection."

"What?" The exclamation came from multiple voices, not just one.

"Why is he spending so much time with her then?" someone asked from across the room.

"Yes, surely he should be concentrating on looking for a wife," Tessa chimed in.

"Apparently she's his best friend," Rose said, trying to calm everyone down and starting to regret bringing Cass up at all.

"Have you met her?" Scarlett asked.

"Yes, he introduced us on our first date."

Kiera stood up and asked the room, "Has anyone else met the best friend?"

She was answered by a chorus of "no" and many girls shook their heads. "Okay then, you're still ahead of all of us, Rose. He hasn't felt the need to have her meet the rest of us yet."

"Hey!" Lucie shouted to get everyone's attention. "Has anyone thought that maybe she's not _just _his friend? We could have more competition than we even realized!"

That made the room even more chaotic as everybody started talking over one another. Rose could hear people saying terrible things about Cass on every side of her, and though she wasn't very fond of Ryker's best friend, she knew she had to say something in Cass's defense for his sake. She stood up on a chair to make up for her small stature and shouted for quiet. Fifteen heads whipped around to face her. Not used to being in the spotlight, Rose took a deep breath.

"Look, I've met Cassandra before, and she's a nice girl. The prince talks about her the way he does about his younger sister." Some of the girls visibly relaxed at her words. "They grew up together as children. He does love her, but it's different than what all of you are thinking. Plus, he chose to have a Selection to pick one of us to be his wife. Clearly he and Cass are just friends and nothing more, and it will not help any of you in this competition to say horrible things about her."

With that, Rose stepped down from the chair, picked up Ryker's book, and left for the library. As she closed the doors, she could hear that the voices inside had calmed down to the normal soft murmur, indicating that she had convinced them that there was nothing serious between Cass and Ryker. But as she walked down the hallway, in the back of her mind she wondered if she had convinced herself.

* * *

Cass stood by the library window watching the servants set up for the picnic. Queen America's family had been staying at the palace for two days, but she hadn't seen them yet. Of course, she and her mother had been invited to spend Thanksgiving with the royal family, but Cass's mother preferred it to be just the two of them; she felt like it would be and imposition. It was one thing to eat with Ryker and his family, but it was different to eat with all of his aunts and uncles and cousins. Cass had met most of them at one time or another, and it would be nice to see them again.

The party was beginning to take shape outside. The Silvia and the Selected girls had shown up to help decorate and set up food. There were tables under a large white tent, and a small orchestra was setting up in the center of it. The girls were wearing knee-length sundresses- many of them with floral patterns or lace- and floppy, wide-brimmed hats. _How they can stand being dressed up for something as casual as a picnic, _she thought. If she were attending, she would completely out of place in her usual slightly distressed jeans and oversized sweater. And she doubted Silvia would excuse her battered boots and instead force her into heels.

"There you are!" Ryker said walking into the library as Cass turned around.

"Here I am," she said unenthusiastically.

"I wanted to talk to you about something," he said as Cass raised her eyebrows. "I want you to come to the party."

"Ry, I told you, I do not want to meet any more of your girlfriends," Cass laughed.

"You don't have to! You would blend in with my family. For all they know, you could be my cousin!"

"I don't know…"

"Please?" He put his hands on her shoulders, making her look up at him. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

"No. The only person who would miss me is Silvia, just because she won't get the opportunity to tell me how much better I look in a dress," she said, glancing down at the holes in her jeans.

"I would miss you," he said. "And I don't care what you wear."

"But everyone else does."

Ryker sighed. "I wasn't going to bring this up, but I do believe that it is your duty as my best friend to go places with me, especially when I'm experiencing girl drama.

That got Cass to laugh. "And you know I'm all about the girl drama."

"So you'll come?" he asked, hope in his eyes.

"Looks like I have to, you'll be lost without me."

Cass walked with him down the stairs and to the glass French doors that led out into the garden. Before they went out, Ryker took off the gray suit jacket that made him look exactly like his father and discarded it on a nearby couch.

"What are you doing?" she asked just as he was rolling up the sleeves of his white button down shirt.

"This way you won't be the only one dressed so casually." He gave her a big, reassuring smile and they went outside.

The garden was almost completely decorated now, and here were comfortable looking chairs strewn everywhere for people to sit in. Cass noticed that most of Ryker's family had arrived as well. She saw Melody sitting with her Aunt May and watching the younger cousins run around with Elliott. They were probably talking about art, as they usually did. In fact, the Queen's sister, May, had been the one to teach Melody how to paint. The King and Queen were taking a stroll, mingling slightly, but mostly keeping to themselves.

The Queen was admiring the beauty of different kinds of flowers while her husband took pictures of them, as well as pictures of his wife. The Queen's mother, whom Cass had only ever met briefly, was bouncing around excitedly, talking to anyone she passed. Ryker's older cousin, Astra, was talking to a group of the Selected while her parents stood at a distance talking to each other.

"Where is your uncle?" she asked, careful not to say uncles since she knew that Ryker's mother was not on good terms with one of her brothers.

"Uncle Gerad?" he asked. When Cass nodded he continued, "He made it onto a pro soccer team in Europe, and this is their training season."

"Wow. That's amazing," she said as people started to notice their arrival.

Ryker's Aunt May came rushing up to him and pulled him in for a big hug, "Ryker!" she said. "You're so big. Look at you! It feels like yesterday I was writing letters to my sister asking her if she had kissed your father yet, and here you are having your own Selection. I find the whole thing so romantic!"

Astra had walked up while she was talking, and the two of them ushered Ryker off to greet the rest of his family. Cass was about to wander off to stalk the food table when she heard an excited voice call from inside the palace. "Cass?"

Cass turned around to find three figures in the doorway she had just come through- A handsome man, a bubbly blonde woman, and a shorter, blonde girl. She recognized the family immediately.

"Marlee!" she said, suddenly excited that she had come, as Marlee ran up and hugged her. Like Cass's parents, Marlee was a close friend of the Queen and even lived in the palace for a while before her daughter, Charlotte, was born. She turned to the shorter blonde girl now. "Hey there, Charlie! You are so big. How old are you now?"

"I just turned twelve," Charlie replied. She spotted the children playing and ran off to join them, probably planning to beat Elliott in a rousing game of tag.

Marlee lifted a gloved hand to Cass's face- she always wore gloves- and made a comment about how beautiful she had become, but Cass was too busy watching the children play to notice. Ryker had joined them and started chasing all his younger cousins around. Cass couldn't help but smile- he looked absolutely ridiculous.

As Cass turned back around, Marlee spotted the Queen waving to her and said, "You'll have to excuse me..." She ran off screaming "America! Oh, America I missed you!" and practically body slammed the Queen with a huge hug.

Apparently Cass's entrance had made quite a ruckus because many of the Selection girls, including Lady Rose, were walking up to her now.

"Cassandra," she said quietly, "There are a few girls who would like to meet you."

"No!" Cass said firmly. "I specifically told Ryker I would not meet any more of the girls!" She started to march toward the food but stopped to turn back and say, "And NEVER call me Cassandra again."

* * *

A few hours later, Cass was still at the party, although now it was getting dark and becoming significantly more boring. Ryker had been busy making the rounds with all the Selected girls, so she talked to some of his family members- mostly his aunts. Not one Selected girl would dare approach Cass after what she had said to Rose, and she was grateful. She did not want to deal with anymore awkwardness tonight.

Cass was just starting to think about going back inside when the Queen stopped her to talk. "How are you, Cass," she said remembering her nickname. "I feel like we hardly see you..." she stopped in the middle of her sentence and stared, mouth gaping, toward the French doors. The King automatically walked up and put his arm around her protectively.

"Maxon," she said in a whisper, "I never thought he would come."

The man was dressed in a fancy suit and had features similar to those of the Queen and family. As he approached them, Cass could see they had the same shape to their faces. He walked with an air of disinterest like a cold hearted businessman.

"America," he said as he stood awkwardly in front of her, relatively emotionless.

The Queen said nothing. Instead, her husband spoke for her. "Kota, what are you doing here?"

_Kota, _she thought. _This man is Ryker's other uncle, the one they don't talk to. _

He completely ignored the King and looked toward Cass. "Would this be Melody?" He asked. Obviously he had never met his niece if he had mistaken Cass- who looked immensely different than the princess- for her.

"No," the Queen regained her ability to speak. "This is Cass. Aspen's daughter."

At the mention of her father's name, Ryker's uncle, Kota, inhaled sharply. He looked back at Cass, more closely this time, and said, "I can see him in you. You look like him."

Cass just stared at him with a face full of confusion.

"We were best friends growing up, your father and I," he said proudly. "So, where is Aspen?"

Everyone went silent. No one had to say anything because their faces told the whole story. Cass looked down at her tightly clasped hands because she didn't want to see the looks on everyone's faces.

Eventually Kota caught on. "America," he said, "What happened to Aspen?" His voice seemed to crack and fill with anger at the same time. The Queen could not look up at her brother, so she stared at a beautiful rose bush behind him. Cass could see a solitary tear leaving her eye.

King Maxon spoke for her, as he often did when she was having trouble, saying, "Kota, I think we should go talk in private."

Kota just nodded solemnly as he followed the King to a place near the yellow wall. Cass watched as they talked and Kota broke down. She couldn't handle it anymore, and she dashed inside before anyone could stop her.

* * *

When Cass awoke the next morning, she found a note lying on the pillow next to her. It was slightly wrinkled from her head rolling over it as she slept, but it was still clearly legible. She recognized the handwriting right away.

**Cass,**

**Last night was strange for so many reasons. I need to clear my head, and I'm sure you do too. I'll meet you in the garden at 1:00 am for swordfighting. **

** ~Ry**

Cass let out a breath that she hadn't known she was holding. They hadn't had a swordfight or even trained together since the Selection had begun. This was by far their longest dry-spell. Cass couldn't wait to get back to normal.

She glanced over at the clock and saw that it was already a little after midnight. She decided to go down to the gardens early to warm up, seeing as there was no point in going back to sleep. Cass pulled on a pair of shorts and her favorite sweatshirt, grabbed her sword, and quietly stepped out into the hall, pulling her unruly waves of brown hair up into a ponytail as she went.

_Ryker really does know me too well_, she thought as she stepped out into the garden. _Only he would understand that I need this; that we both do. _For Cass, there had always been something about hitting two pieces of wood together was relaxing and comfortable. It was probably strange to most people, but when she was in the middle of a fight, it was just her and Ry and their swords swinging madly at each other. The rest of the world and all of its problems faded away for a little while. She smiled, realizing that not even the Selection could take that away from them.

At least she didn't think it could. She looked up from her stretches, glancing at her watch. It was two minutes after one, and Ryker should have shown up already. He was almost never late. Maybe he had overslept? _Great,_ Cass thought. _I was just calming down._ She tried doing a couple of practice moves against an invisible opponent to get herself to relax, but nothing could take her mind off of where Ryker had gone.

Suddenly, something clicked in her head, making her stop mid-swing. It wasn't so much the swordfighting that consoled her as the special routine she had always shared with Ryker. Without him there, teasing her and flashing a grin her way between parries, fighting wasn't nearly the same. Practicing the fancy moves on her own was fun and challenging, but without Ryker there to coax a laugh out of her when she messed up, it became frustrating. Doing footwork drills was boring when he wasn't there talking to her about the book he was reading or telling a story about one of his siblings. Cass found that her peace of mind rested on him, not the sword in her hand.

With that, Cass turned and went back into the palace, determined to find Ryker, wherever he was. She poked her head into his favorite library, but he wasn't there. She went up to the third floor, taking the stairs two at a time and ignoring the strange look that a night guard gave her as she went by. Finally she made it to his room. Assuming he was asleep, Cass turned the knob and opened the door without knocking, but she stopped short as soon as she was through the door, a wave of unfamiliar feelings washing over her, causing her chest to tighten up.

Ryker was sitting on the edge of his bed, but he wasn't alone. A pretty girl with long, curly black hair and red lipstick was sitting next to him, and Ryker's face was less than two inches away from hers. Ryker's hand was on her face, midway through the act of pushing those dark curls back from the girl's eyes.

Hearing the door open, he and the girl looked up, and all three of them stared at each other for a moment, Ryker's face slowly turning red and Cass's eyes widening in shock as she realized that Ry had been about to kiss that girl.

Without a word, Cass turned on her heel, slammed the door shut behind her, and ran.

* * *

**Please go check out my new Mortal Instruments one shot "Beauty and the Geek"!**

**P.S. I do believe the "happy glow" in ch 3 was a subconscious Maximum Ride reference, although I did not realize it until I saw coffeelover's comment! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

**Personally, I think this is the most exciting chapter so far, and I'm really excited for you guys to read it! **

**Please review with your thoughts and a huge thank you to those who reviewed/favorited/followed last chapter! **

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Cass ran blindly through the palace, stopping only when she saw the library doors. She tore them open and ran out onto the balcony. She was breathing heavily, making puffs of vapor in the cold night air. She leaned against the railing, her mind a swirling tempest of incoherent thoughts. But at the center of it all was the image of Ryker and the dark-haired girl together. The idea of her bright, apple-red lips so close to his made her cringe in disgust. _Red lipstick, _she thought, remembering her previous joke. _That __must have been Scarlett. _

A few minutes later, Cass heard the sound of feet slamming on the floor of the marble hallway, but she didn't turn around until Ryker was in the library. "I thought I'd find you here," he said. He was referring to the countless times he sat in this very library to read while she stood on the balcony, sketchbook in hand.

"Well, you found me," she said, not knowing what else to say.

Ryker rolled his eyes. "So, are you going to tell me why you are so upset? Or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

"I don't know... I guess I hadn't thought about you kissing them before."

"_That's _what this is about!" he laughed. "Cass, you had to know that was part of the deal."

"How many of them have you kissed?" she asked, not entirely sure why she wanted to know.

Ryker completely ignored her question. "Honestly, you're going to have to stop freaking out like this every time you see me with a girl. They will start to think you're jealous," he added jokingly.

When Cass still remained silent he suddenly got more serious, an unreadable look on his face as he turned to look her in the eye. "Cass, are you jealous?"

"I don't know..." she said, ducking her head to escape his blue-eyed gaze.

"You don't have to worry. The Selected girls aren't going to do anything to ruin our friendship."

Cass pushed him away. "Ryker," she said, using his full name, "I'm not worried about the girls doing something to ruin our friendship, I'm worried about me doing something to ruin our friendship!"

"What does that even mean?" he said in a loud voice, his slight temper boiling up inside him.

"I don't know!" Cass's annoyance was growing. "Honestly, I don't think I even know what it means..."

"Well tell me when you do," the prince said before walking angrily out of the library.

Cass couldn't remember the last time she and her best friend had had a fight. In fact, she didn't even know if this counted as a fight. She sighed and went into the library to try to find a pencil and paper to draw with. Cass searched two desks with no success before she realized she wasn't alone.

Elliott had slipped out from behind a bookcase with a comic book in hand. His red hair mussed up, but his eyes were bright behind the blue frames of his glasses. "Hey," he said with a sympathetic face.

"You heard all that?" she asked, wincing a little.

"Yeah." He put his comic book away and turned back to Cass. He had a look on his face that made him seem decades wiser than his eleven years . "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I don't think there's really anything to talk about..."

"Well there's the fact that you're madly in love with my brother," Elliott said, barely able to keep a straight face.

"What? I'm not madly in love with anyone! Especially Ry, you just heard us fighting," Cass laughed at the outrageous idea.

"After all these years, do you honestly expect me to believe that you have absolutely no feelings for Ryker?" Elliott said calmly after she stopped, raising an eyebrow. He seemed to think this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes." Cass hesitated for just a moment.

"So you guys are _just_ friends? Nothing more?"

"Well, no..." she said. "We're definitely more than friends. We're like... like..."

"Like family?"

"Yes!" Cass said, throwing up her arms in celebration. "See, you _do _get it."

"No, I think you _don't _get it. You're in denial," Elliott explained, using his best psychologist impersonation. "You and I are like family. You and Ryker... are so much more, and it's only a matter of time before you see it too."

Cass thought about it, but she couldn't come up with a witty response that would get Elliott off her back. He seemed to understand and stood up to leave, leaving Cass to sort through her thoughts. She stopped him before he left the room and said, "Hey, Elliott?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"'Twas an honor, Princess Cassandra," he said with a mocking bow.

She didn't know whether she was more annoyed by the "Cassandra" or the "Princess", but she jumped up quickly, chasing Elliott with the intention of kicking his ass. By the time she caught up to him, halfway down the hallway, they were both smiling and laughing like idiots, getting strange looks from maids and butlers. Cass easily tackled him to the ground and began tickling him ferociously.

"Stop! Stop, I give up!" he said. And they both rolled onto their backs, literally rolling on the floor laughing.

* * *

Cass sat on her bed later that night with her "not a journal", trying to put her frustration into pictures. She had considered trying to finish her drawing of Ryker, but she still didn't know if they were having a fight and seeing his face, even just on paper, made everything more confusing. Everything Elliott said was getting to her as well, but she wasn't exactly sure why yet. Surely he couldn't think she was actually in love with Ryker, could he? She sighed and leaned her head back against her headboard, her emotions as jumbled and incoherent as her thoughts.

Just as she was finishing the treetops of a landscape, someone knocked on the door. Cass groaned, not wanting to leave her comfy bed, and lazily trudged over to the other side of the room to open the door. Ryker was standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. Instead of his usual button down, he was wearing a plain, white V-neck and gray sweatpants. Because he never dressed this casually, Cass guessed he had come from bed, an assumption further supported by his messy golden bed head.

"None," he said simply. Cass couldn't quite pinpoint the expression on his face. He didn't seem to be angry anymore, but there was a new emotion in his eyes that she hadn't seen before.

"What?" she said, suddenly very confused.

"You asked me earlier how many of the girls I had kissed." Ryker looked down at the ground, cheeks reddening in embarrassment. "None. I haven't kissed any of them. I have never kissed anyone."

"Well you had better get on that," Cass joked, trying to lighten the mood and relieve the tension between them.

"There's something I want... no, something I _need_ to do first." He entered her room just enough to close the door behind him. "Cass..." he said while spinning her so that her back was against the door, and she was looking up into his blue eyes.

He sounded like he was about to say something else and possibly offer some explanation for his actions, but he didn't. Instead he moved closer, so they were only a few inches apart. He kept one hand placed firmly on the door as if he thought his legs would give out at any moment. He raised his other hand to Cass's face, running the tips of his fingers down her cheek to rest just under her chin. Without once losing eye contact, Ryker lifted her chin and pulled her lips to his. And then they were kissing.

His lips were soft on hers, and they said everything neither of them could say out loud. The kiss was minty as if Ryker had recently brushed his teeth, and he must have just showered because Cass could smell a hint of lemon soap. She locked her hands around his neck and threaded her fingers through his damp, golden hair.

The kiss was over too soon, and Cass found herself wanting more, but she held herself back. She opened her eyes to see Ryker's dazed expression as he drew back from her. Neither of them said anything for a few seconds while they just stared into each other's' eyes.

"Wow," Ryker whispered, sounding a little out of breath.

"Yeah..."

"I should go," he said suddenly. Cass's face filled with disappointment, but Ryker couldn't see it because he was already leaving the room.

Cass went over to her nightstand, her previous disappointment turning into excitement as she thought about what had just happened, and pulled out her unfinished drawing of Ryker, knowing exactly how to finish it.

* * *

Ryker somehow made it back to his room and closed the door. He stood there for a moment before sitting down on his bed, a ridiculously huge grin taking over his face, remembering the last few minutes. He had finally kissed a girl, and clearly he was pretty good at it because Cass hadn't slapped him or anything afterward. It hadn't felt strange at all to be kissing her. In fact, it had felt right somehow. Why hadn't he considered Cass before?

Ryker remembered walking down to her room, intending to apologize, but on the way down, her question about whether he had kissed any of the Selected girls kept distracting him. That made him think about which one of them he would kiss, given the chance. Well, he'd had the chance with Scarlett, but most of that had been her doing, and after Cass had barged in, he had taken Scarlett back to her room without anything else happening between them. He remembered going over all of the Selected in his head, trying to pick one, but for some reason, his thoughts had kept coming back to Cass.

He had just rounded the corner to come to her door when a thought had hit him: why not Cass? At first he had shut the idea down as quickly as it had come, but then the more he had thought about it, the better the idea seemed. He made up his mind the instant she opened the door. At that moment, he had felt like he was seeing her in a completely new light. Her eyes had suddenly seemed brighter, the exact color of the ocean. He had always subconsciously known she was pretty, but in that moment she was beautiful, from her dark windswept hair to the curve of her lips as she had smiled tentatively at him. All the doubts had vanished from his head, and he had known he was going to kiss her. His first kiss wasn't going to be with some girl he had only known for a couple of weeks, but with his best friend, someone who knew him better than he knew himself.

Suddenly, Ryker snapped back into the present as the realization began to set in- he had kissed Cass, _his best friend_. He got up and started pacing the room, questions coming faster than he could answer them. _Did she think it was as great as I did? Are we still even friends, or are we something else now? How are we supposed to act around each other? _He collapsed into a chair, unable to keep up with his thoughts.

He looked out the window and saw that it was almost dawn. Ryker decided that at this point there was no way he was going to get any sleep, so he instinctively reached for his favorite book to settle his thoughts, but when his fingers came to its usual spot on the shelf, he felt only empty air. He was confused for a second, but then remembered he had loaned it to someone, to Lady Rose. _Lady Rose…_ he thought, as the unwelcome realization came crashing in. He may have kissed Cass, but the Selection was still going on.

What had he done? Ryker rubbed his hands on his face and sat down. What did this mean for the Selection? He knew there were rules for the girls about dating other guys, but were there rules for the prince? Everything was so confusing! Should he tell his parents? No, this was the last conversation he wanted to have with the King and Queen. _But I should talk to _someone _about this, _he thought. _Elliott! Surely he would understand. _Ryker considered going to find his little brother, but he would most definitely be asleep at this time of night. So he went to bed, deciding that this matter could wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Rose had been increasingly finding herself with nothing to do for weeks now. Especially at this time of day, just past noon, there was nothing to do in the palace. Rose hated feeling this useless. Back in Carolina, there was always something that needed to be done. If she was at home right now she would probably be studying or tutoring her younger neighbors. _I miss tutoring so much, _she thought. She shook off her homesickness and picked up Ryker's book to deal with her restlessness.

A few minutes later, there were three sharp knocks on the door. Rose carefully saved her place with a bookmark she had brought from home, set the book down, and got up to get the door. She opened the door so suddenly that the maid on the other side jumped back a step. Instead of saying anything, she held out the silver tray she was holding and gestured for Rose to take the letter that was on it. A look down the hall revealed that all the Selected girls had received a similar, if not identical, letter.

**Dear Ladies of the Selection,**

**You all must know that Christmas is only two weeks away****, ****and you have yet to receive any assignments during your stay here at the palace. Some very important Italian diplomats will be visiting for Christmas, and the Queen has requested that all of you girls help her plan the party. You should meet her in the Women's Room tomorrow at 12:00 p. begin the planning. **

**On another, slightly less exciting note, the Prince has decided to use this opportunity to narrow the remaining girls down to the Elite. He will begin making cuts as soon as you begin your planning, and we should expect the final Elite to be decided after the Italian party, Christmas Eve. The Elite will be allowed to invite their families to the palace for New Years.**

**We encourage you all to write home to your parents for the holidays, although they will not be able to send gifts to the palace. **

**~Silvia **

Rose gave a tiny squeal at the idea of her parents and little brother in the palace. _Surely she could make it into the Elite, right? The prince had taken her on more dates than anyone else. _Feeling secure in her standing in the Selection, Rose sat down to start three letters: One to her parents, one to her little brother, Mason, and one to Prince Ryker.

* * *

Later that day, Ryker went down to the garden, looking for his little brother. After talking to a couple of maids, he found him sitting on a bench, reading a well-worn comic book that Ryker knew was Elliott's favorite. Elliott looked up as Ryker sat down next to him, but stayed quiet when Ryker didn't say anything right away.

_I can't believe I'm going to my eleven-year-old brother to get advice on how to deal with girls._ Ryker thought, but he swallowed his pride and looked over at Elliott. "Can I ask you something?"

"I'm listening," his little brother replied, looking at Ryker expectantly over the tops of his glasses.

"What do you think about the Selection?" Ryker wasn't exactly sure how to phrase his questions, so he decided to start with something general.

"It doesn't matter what I think, does it? The only thing that counts is what _you _think." Elliott was clearly enjoying this.

"Fine, you're right. As usual. What if I can't find what I'm looking for in this group of girls? I'd look like such an idiot. I bet there hasn't been a failed Selection in a long time."

"It's been several decades actually."

"Whatever. I'm just starting to think that the girl I want isn't one of those thirty-five," Ryker said, his gaze unconsciously traveling over to the palace wall and the windows he knew led to Cass's room.

They were silent for a moment, but then Elliott broke in. "You know Charlie? Marlee's daughter?"

"Yeah," Ryker said hesitantly, not sure where Elliott was going.

"I kissed her," he said matter-of-factly. "At the picnic. I think I might forgo the Selection altogether and marry her someday."

"This is so pitiful," Ryker said, shaking his head in amusement. "My little brother beat me to my first kiss."

Elliott's head snapped up. "Oh really? By how much?"

"Well, I kissed Cass just last night, so a lot."

Suddenly Elliott jumped up and started running in a circle around the bench, shouting, "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!"

Ryker laughed and grabbed Elliott's arm to stop the victory dance. "Knew what?"

"That you two are head-over-heels in love, and you're going to get married."

"What?" Ryker stared at his brother, taken aback by his conviction. "It was just one kiss."

"That's all you need," Elliott said smugly. "Now you guys have effectively moved past the 'We're like family' barrier and can get on with the whole 'Let's get married' part."

"You've got this all figured out, don't you?"

"You don't even know half of it."

Ryker sat quietly for a minute. "What if Cass doesn't even like me that way? We didn't talk a whole lot after last night."

"Well, if I'm not mistaken, it takes two to kiss..." Elliott said slyly.

"True, Mr. Know-It-All. So you think she definitely feels the same way?"

"You haven't exactly specified how you feel."

"That's because I'm not sure about anything yet." Ryker got up and started walking up and down the path in front of their bench. "Cass has been my best friend for so long that in my head, I know that it's strange for us to be together like that, but it didn't feel strange at all. It felt good actually, great even. But then there's the Selection, and I feel like I need to stick with that and uphold tradition. The greater good of the country seems more important in the big picture sense."

"So you're trying to play the hero and do something you don't necessarily want in order to supposedly help a bigger cause?"

"Yes?"

Elliott sighed. "Ryker, that may work in all of the books you read, but this is real life. Your happiness is more important than an antiquated tradition."

"Then you're saying… what exactly?"

"Do what _you _want, not what everyone else wants you to want."

"But what do I want?" Ryker asked helplessly. His thoughts were all moving too quickly for him to even form a coherent idea about his future.

"I believe," Elliott said, picking up his comic and heading back into the palace. "that part is up to you."

* * *

**The first person to review this chapter will get a shout out in Ch 6!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

**Shout out to KoalaKaos for the first review last chapter! Keep reading and keep reviewing! Love you guys!**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Ryker was reading in his room when heard a hesitant knock on his door, which was weird. The maids hardly ever came by at this time of day, and his only other visitor was usually Cass, and Cass was a lot of things, but hesitant wasn't one of them. He straightened his shirt and opened up the door, surprised to see Cass looking up at him.

"Hey," she said, running a hand through her hair the way she did when she was uncomfortable.

"Hey," Ryker returned, not quite knowing what to say.

"Can I come in? We need to talk."

_That's an understatement_, Ryker thought as he stepped back to let her into the room. She sat down on his bed, just like she always had, and everything looked normal for a moment, but things clearly weren't the way they used to be. Cass's shoulders were tense, and there was an uncomfortable silence between them that had never been there before.

"So," Cass said as the silence became unbearable. "You kissed me."

Ryker let out a forced laugh. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. I wasn't aware of that until now."

Cass just glared at him. "Why me?"

"I don't really know. It just felt right I guess."

"You guess? Does it still feel right to you?"

Ryker turned away from the window and looked at Cass. She was looking at him steadily, ready to take whatever answer he gave her. She was so unlike all of the Selected girls. They seemed to all blend together in his mind sometimes, but she was unique. She was her own strong, independent person and he loved that about her. "Yes, of course it does."

Cass grinned but then quickly became serious again. "Well what does that make us then?"

"I'm not exactly sure. But Elliott seems to think we should start planning our wedding already."

That got her to laugh, and she got up and came to stand next to him by the window. "You went to Elliott for advice about this?"

"I might have. Did you know he had his first kiss before I did?"

"Did he? I always knew the ladies wouldn't be able to resist him. Maybe you can beat him to something else though," Cass said, looking up at him with a mischievous look in her eye.

"And what would that be?"

"A second kiss," she said, gently pulling him down until their lips met.

Ryker gasped a little at first, surprised that _Cass _had kissed _him _this time, but the sound was lost against her mouth, and he wrapped his arms around her slim waist, drawing her closer. Her hands were clasped around his neck, the tips of her fingers just barely brushing his hair, and her lips were warm and soft against his. The kiss had started out sweet but was quickly getting more passionate. Ryker tried to slow down a little, this was only his second kiss after all, but then Cass murmured his name softly and tilted her head, deepening the kiss. He playfully bit her lower lip, tasting the strawberry lip balm she always used, and she made a noise low in her throat, driving every sensible thought from his head. She kissed him harder until they were both breathless.

Ryker pulled back for a moment, looking deep into Cass's blue-green eyes and carefully pulling out the bobby pins that kept her hair pulled back from her face, tossing the pins onto the floor behind them. She smiled up at him, closing her eyes as he slid his fingers into the long, silky waves of her hair and bent down so he could kiss her again. Cass's hands slid down over his shoulders to rest on his chest, and Ryker leaned into her, making the kiss even deeper. He could feel her pulse racing, matching his own, and began to wonder why he had ever doubted his feelings for Cass.

He lifted her gently so she was sitting on the edge of his desk, never letting his lips leave hers as he did so. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and he cupped her face in his hand, brushing his thumb over her cheekbone. They kissed again and again, each more fierce than the last, until Cass leaned back onto the desk, her hand crushing a letter that was folded there, nearly tearing the paper, and knocking a jar of pens onto the floor. The noise seemed incredibly loud after all of the silence, and Cass broke away from Ryker.

"Sorry," she whispered. "Hope that paper wasn't anything important."

Ryker cleared his throat before he spoke, noticing how flushed her face was. "Probably just some budget thing Father wanted me to look at, no big deal."

He leaned in and kissed the corner of her mouth as Cass picked up the letter, quickly reading its contents. Suddenly she sat up straight and put her hand on his chest to keep some space between them.

"It's from Rose, asking if tonight would be okay for you guys to go out on a date." There was a slight frown on Cass's face.

"Oh yeah, I had forgotten about that."

"Well what are you going to say?" she asked, tucking back a strand of hair that had come down when Ryker had pulled the pins out of her hair.

"Um…" Ryker hesitated. He wasn't sure how to handle this. Clearly, he and Cass had something, something he wanted to explore further, but he also felt like he had to go through with the Selection. "I'm not quite sure."

"You're not sure?" Cass asked, her voice getting dangerously soft.

"No?"

"Okay then, Your Majesty," she said, voice rising as she gracefully slid off of the desk and walked towards the door. "You can consider this, whatever this is, over until you can figure out your own feelings."

"Cass, wait," Ryker said desperately, not wanting her to leave.

"No, Ry," she said forcefully. "I'm not going to hang around as your backup plan if the Selection doesn't work out."

Ryker went after her, trying to beat her to the door, but it was too late. She slammed it in his face. He could hear her footsteps running away from him, and he had the good sense not to follow her for once. He leaned his forehead against the door, realizing he had a lot of thinking to do.

* * *

"So could it work?" Rose asked. She had stayed after all the other girls left to talk to the Queen.

"I think it could, though I will have to talk to Maxon... I mean the King, first. I would be difficult for the same reason your parents cannot send gifts to the palace."

"The rebels," Rose whispered softly in understanding.

"Yes," said the Queen. "Either way, I admire your originality! None of the other girls have come to me with anything like this."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" she exclaimed. "I just want this Christmas to be special, and I know how stressful this all must be for Prince Ryker."

"That is incredibly thoughtful of you, Lady Rose," the Queen said. "I do hope you have written to your parents for the holiday season?"

"Oh yes," said Rose, standing up to curtsy. "Thank you again for all your help."

"It was my pleasure. I will let you know about your plan."

Rose left the Women's Room with one last "Thank you, Your Majesty" and began to walk back to her room. She was half way up the second flight of stairs when she heard a door slam, followed by the sound of running footsteps. When Rose reached the first landing, she looked up to find Ryker's friend running down the steps from the third floor, a strange expression on her face.

"Cassandra?" she said tentatively. "Cassandra, is that you?"

The girl stopped and whirled to look at Rose. Her brown hair, which had been hiding her face, fell back to show the blaze of anger in her eyes. Those eyes narrowed as Rose stared at Cass in confusion.

"Oh, it's you," Cass said, her voice full of venom.

"Me?" Rose was more confused than ever.

"Yes, you. Another one of the Selected girls, all pretending you're here for Ryker when all you really want is the crown." Cass was now stalking closer to her prey.

"That's not true," said Rose, a look of innocent fear swept across her face.

Cass laughed derisively. "Oh really? I bet you don't know him at all. I bet you don't even know his middle name."

Rose was shocked, wracking her brain frantically, trying to remember if one of her books had contained that particular piece of information, but nothing was coming to her. She looked down in embarrassment. "N-no, I don't."

"Well in case you care, which I highly doubt you do, it's Aspen... After my father," Cass said, her words edged with steel. Cass gave Rose a biting look before dashing off around a corner, toward her room.

* * *

A couple hours after Cass had stormed out of his room, Ryker left to go pick up Rose for the date she had planned. On the way to the Selected girls' part of the palace, Ryker found himself completely distracted, as he had been all afternoon, by thinking about Cass. She had looked so angry when she left, and he had been surprised that he hadn't seen her in the gardens later, swinging away with her sword to try to blow off some steam. For some absurd reason, the very thought made him smile, but he mentally shook himself and forced his brain to pay attention to the room numbers on his right. He realized he had been so lost in his thoughts that he had missed Rose's room entirely. He turned around and went back three doors before he found the right one and knocked.

Rose opened the door seconds afterward, looking very pretty in a flowing mauve-colored dress with a silver sash and matching shoes. Her hair was curled and held back from her face with a delicate clip on the side of her head, and the hints of silver in her makeup brightened her eyes. Clearly she had worked hard to get ready for this date. Ryker smiled of course, but in his head, all he could think about was how different she was from Cass, who looked just as beautiful in jeans and a sweatshirt, though she didn't even know it.

He snapped back to attention as Rose said something about a movie. "Oh yes, I'll take you down to the theatre and we can watch whatever you'd like."

"How about the movie version of _A Tale of Two Cities_?" Rose said, remembering it was one of his favorites.

"Sounds great." She and Ryker didn't talk anymore until they reached the theatre. Ryker held the door open for her and let her pick a seat while he searched the shelf of movies to find the one they wanted. Once he found it and settled down next to Rose, his thoughts were split: half his mind was keeping up a conversation with Rose about the casting in the movie, and the other half was trying to figure out a way to fix things with Cass.

_Should I go apologize? No, I can't if I haven't made up my mind on things yet because she'll definitely call me on it. And it's not like she's going to apologize first. _He sighed, and Rose turned to face him, looking concerned.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, really. Just a little tired today, I did a lot of work with Father yesterday," he said, trying to put a convincing smile on his face and taking Rose's hand in his own. Thankfully, even seeing the movie version of one of his favorite novels helped calm him down, and by the time the credits rolled across the screen, his thoughts had settled down somewhat.

He and Rose chatted comfortably about the movie and how the book was better, because the book was always better, on the way back up to her room. Just as Rose opened her door, Ryker put out a hand to stop her.

"Thank you," he said seriously.

"For what?" Rose asked.

"For knowing exactly how to cheer me up. I really needed something like that today."

Rose brightened up at his words. _There Cassandra, I do know him after all._ "You're very welcome, Prince Ryker, it was my pleasure."

Ryker smiled back at her, and, after noticing that the hallway was empty, leaned down to gently kiss her lips. When he pulled back, Rose was blushing, but he could tell she was trying vainly to keep down a grin.

"I guess I'll see you at the ball then?" she asked.

"Absolutely."

Rose went into her room and a maid shut the door behind her, but not before Ryker saw her glance back at him over her shoulder, a look of pure joy on her face.

* * *

Christmas Eve morning, Ryker found himself walking back to his room after a conversation with his parents about the Selection, specifically the Elite. He concluded that he had pondered this subject enough for the day, and he eagerly tried to avoid all the girls, even Cass, until the party that night. Miraculously he made it to the third floor unseen and walked towards his bedroom door. On his way in, however, he tripped over something.

Ryker looked down to find his favorite book lying on the floor in front of his room. _Rose, _he thought. _But how did she get it up here? _He honestly didn't care, and he picked up the blue leather-bound book, flipping through the pages for good measure. He stopped when he found a bulge somewhere in the middle. _Something is inside the book, _he realized.

He opened the book where the object lay and found a simple, reddish-brown, leather bracelet and a note. Ryker read the note first.

**Prince Ryker,**

**I have had the best time with you these past couple of months! I really enjoy spending time with you. It means a lot to me that you trusted me with your favorite book****, ****and I wanted to do something nice for you in return, so I got you a Christmas present. I confess, because of the delicacy of the situation I had to get some help from your mother, but she was very helpful. We had a leatherworker come to the palace and make you this bracelet. I hope you like it. I found the quote highlighted in your book, and it inspired me. Merry Christmas, Ryker! **

**~Lady Rose**

He looked closer at the bracelet for the first time. Like she said it had a quote on it:

_The fight is what makes life worth living. _

The same quote was highlighted on the very page that the bracelet was marking. Ryker smiled and put the bracelet on his left wrist. Then he carefully, as to not bend it, slipped Rose's note into the book to bookmark that page. This whole time he had thought all the Selection girls were carbon copies of each other, just different hairstyles and dresses. He had thought they were a one-dimensional group, but here was Rose, this sweet, interesting, individual girl. _She _had given _him _a present for Christmas. Sure he had gotten all the Selected girls gifts- mostly jewelry- but he certainly did not put this much thought into any of them.

_Thank you, Rose,_ he thought. He would thank her in person tonight, at the ball.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

**Thank you so much for all the reviews and follows! Keep them coming!**

**P.S. let me know if anyone catches my _Dawson's Creek_ reference! (I will be very surprised)**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

The first thing that struck Cass when she walked into the Christmas Eve Ball was the decor. The walls were draped with a delicate-looking red fabric that flowed and rippled in the breeze made by people rushing back and forth. There were ropes of fresh, green garlands winding around the marble pillars and hanging like streamers from the ceiling. Red bows adorned the backs of chairs and strings of white lights were everywhere, giving the room a romantic candle-lit type glow. In the center of the far wall stood the biggest Christmas tree Cass had ever seen. It was one of twenty-seven trees that decorated the palace, not counting the ones in the garden.

The second thing she noticed was the amount of people. This was one of the biggest parties the royal family had thrown in her lifetime, so it was in the biggest ballroom the palace had. Cass supposed it had a name- like most of rooms in the palace- but she had never bothered learning them because she believed it was a waste of time. Instead she and Ryker would come up with the most outrageous names like "The Blue Giraffe Room"- a particular sitting room with blue decor and a giant, marble giraffe statue. Cass had a lot of memories of Ryker correcting her when she mixed up the made-up names.

The room was already filled with Italians wearing bright oranges, deep greens, and festive reds. The rest of the Selected girls- only twelve since Ryker sent home three girls that Cass hadn't bothered to learn the names of- were milling about talking to each other, a surprising amount of them in blue, a curious choice for a Christmas party. There was a dance floor, although it was empty, and a string quartet off in the corner, playing carols rather softly. Most of the people were seated at two impossibly long tables at either side of the dance floor. They were set with expensive looking plates, bowls, and silverware, and name cards written in fancy cursive were carefully placed at each setting.

Cass spotted her mother at one of the tables and started walking that way, assuming her seat was next to her. However, when she approached, she saw that all the seats around her mother were taken. Completely annoyed at the thought of sitting next to a stranger, or God forbid a Selected girl, Cass started looking for her name card. She was about to give up and ask a maid for help when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to see a beautiful Italian girl, about her age, in a long, flowy yellow and orange dress that reminded Cass of a sunset.

When she spoke, she had a thick accent. "The prince stopped me as I was coming in and asked me to give you this note."

"Thank you," Cass replied as the girl handed her the note.

Cass stepped to the side for privacy and opened the note as quick as she could, eager to see what Ryker had written. But when she unfolded the paper, it wasn't Ryker's messy handwriting that she found.

**Cass,**

**I was spying on the guests and saw you looking for your seat. I asked Mom if you could sit with us, and she said yes, so you're sitting next to me!**

**~Elliott**

She looked up at the far wall where the royal family's table sat in front of the tree. Indeed, like Elliott said, there were six chairs instead of five. Cass smiled at the thought of being included in Ryker's family and went to take her seat at the lonely table.

Eventually a smartly dressed guard began to announce the royal family. They were announced in intervals to minimize disruptions to the party. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I announce Prince Elliott Calix Schreave."

Elliot walked in with a smug smile on his face, wearing his dress suit- a dark blue one adorned with medals and badges like a guard. He stopped for the cameras before pushing up his glasses and dashing off toward Cass. She was glad to have company, and they chatted about all the excitement until Melody came in.

"Announcing Princess Melody Amberly Schreave."

She sauntered in like a movie star wearing a stunning gown of ivory and mint. Her hair was down and her brilliant copper curls tumbled down her back. She looked a lot older than her fourteen years.

There were a couple more announcements, but Cass didn't pay any attention until she heard Ryker's name called. Then she turned to see him walking through the doors, looking very handsome in a simple black suit that made his eyes seem even more blue. He seemed very confident as he stopped to talk to people on his way down to the Royal Family's table, but Cass thought she could detect a little bit of tension in his shoulders, and she could see that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes. She wondered if he was still thinking about how she had stormed out the other day.

Ryker came to the table, barely acknowledging Cass before he sat down next to Melody. A delicious dinner of turducken was served, but Cass hardly tasted it. She kept her eyes trained on her plate the whole time, but she could occasionally feel the weight of Ryker's gaze as he looked over at her. When the meal was over and he got up, Cass felt a little relieved, but she felt a tightening in her chest when she saw him go over to one of the groups of Selected girls and pull one of them, a girl named Tessa, onto the dance floor. At that point, it was only Cass and Elliott left sitting down. The King and Queen had gone to visit with the Italians, and Melody was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm guessing you and Ry got into another fight," Elliott said suddenly.

Cass sighed. "Was it that obvious?"

"Which part? The part where you're not speaking to each other or the part where you won't even look at him? Not to mention he's been all moody lately. He's no fun to be around anymore."

"Okay, so it's definitely obvious." Cass looked around the ballroom, quickly turning back to Elliott when she caught a glimpse of Ryker. "We fought about the Selection. He's still going out with all the girls."

"What did you expect, Cass? You know Ryker better than anyone. He's not the type to back out of a tradition, or any sort of responsibility, without making sure it's the right thing to do."

"Is it the right thing to do?" Cass realized that if Ryker didn't go through with the Selection, he would be the first in decades to go against the traditions of Illea. _Maybe I'm not worth breaking all the rules, _she thought. "I just don't know what to do..."

"You have to fix this, no matter how things turn out," he said wisely. "You two not being in each other's lives... that's just wrong."

Cass moved her eyes back to the dance floor where Ryker was already dancing with his third girl. She sighed. "I think you're right."

* * *

"I really enjoyed dancing with you Prince Ryker."

"It was my pleasure, Lady Elizabeth." he said as he lead the beautiful, tan girl back to her seat. Moments later she was scooped up by a handsome guard and started dancing again.

Ryker went off to search the room for Lady Rose. He found her dancing with one of the older guards. He walked over and tapped the guard on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" he said.

"Of course, Your Majesty," replied the guard.

"I was beginning to think you would never ask me to dance," Rose said as the Prince took her hand, and the two of them started to dance.

He smiled at her. "I had a lot of girls to get through."

"But you saved me for last." She said this with a big smile, obviously liking that fact that she was special.

"Yes, because I wanted to talk to you." _She's the last of the Selected girls, but hopefully she isn't the last girl I dance with tonight._

Ryker quickly put aside his other thoughts. He had something else to talk about with Rose. "Thank you for my Christmas present," he said temporarily letting go of Rose to show her his wrist.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, overjoyed. "You're wearing it?"

"How could I not? It was such a perfect gift!"

"I just thought you must be so stressed with the Selection and all, and you deserve something nice," Rose said, trying to play it down. Ryker added modesty to her long list of likable qualities.

"It was very nice thank you." Then Ryker added, a hint of nervousness in his voice, "Rose, would you like your family to come visit here, at the palace?"

Rose, ever the rule follower, replied, "But you're not supposed to meet our families until we are in the Elite."

"Right," he smiled at her slight confusion. "I'm asking you if you want to stay and be part of the Elite."

"Oh," she said as the magnitude of the question sank in. "Yes, of course, Prince Ryker!"

Once the weight of the question was lifted off his shoulders, Ryker laughed. "That's another thing. If we are to get any closer you must call me Ryker. Before the Selection barely anyone called me "Prince". It still surprises me every time one of you girls says it."

Rose and Ryker danced until the song ended and then danced through one more, talking about the blue leather-bound book the whole time. When it was time for them to part, Ryker took her hand and kissed it.

"It was a pleasure, my Rose." She blushed and walked off to join a few of the other girls at a nearby table.

_Ok, _he said to himself as he walked toward the royal family's table. _You can't avoid this conversation any longer. This fight ends tonight. _He put a smile on his face as he approached.

"Now why is a beautiful girl like you sitting all alone?"

Cass looked up to see him and her face filled with joy. "I was hoping you wouldn't avoid me all night."

"Would you like to dance," he said, offering her his hand and preparing himself for her backlash. Cass normally hated dancing, and he hardly expected her to forgive him this easily.

"Absolutely," she replied, delighting and astonishing him at the same time.

"Well this is a first," Ryker said as he led her out onto the dance floor.

"What?"

"Cassandra Leger, dancing, of her own free will," he laughed.

"People _can _change you know," Cass said matter-of-factly, not even getting annoyed by the use of her horrid full name.

"Yes, but not you," he said, staring into her blue-green eyes. "You are the one constant in my life. You keep me sane, Cass."

Ryker pulled her in closer as they danced, so she could lay her cheek on his shoulder. They were not so much dancing as swaying to the sweet sound of the music.

Cass pulled away just a bit so she could look into Ryker's blue eyes. "Ry, I wanted to talk to you about the other night." She saw him start to open his mouth to say something, but she stopped him. "I'm sorry. I overreacted. I know you've got a lot to think about, and I should have given you the time to get your thoughts together before I got mad."

"Wow," Ryker started laughing. "My Cass agrees to dance with me, and now she's apologizing first for the second time in a row. You _have _changed." He continued on, still joking, "It's like you're a whole new person."

That got her laughing too, and they stayed that way till the end of the song, just two best friends laughing together. As everyone started to clap for the orchestra, Cass caught a glimpse of Melody over Ryker's shoulder. She was standing off in a corner with the very handsome Italian prince, whose name Cass couldn't remember, though she believed he was a bit older than Melody. There seemed to be a lot of giggling and flirting going on between the two of them. Cass couldn't help but smile. _Of course Melody would catch the eye of a prince. _

Cass suddenly realized that the clapping had stopped. Now, everyone had their eyes trained on a platform where the King stood, ready to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "Merry Christmas, and thank you all for coming. My wife, America, has a gift for you all." He looked to his right where the Queen sat with a medium-sized, black case. "We hope you enjoy it."

Everyone clapped again, but only for a short time. Then the crowd turned to face the Queen while she took out her violin. She played it expertly, as she often had on warm summer nights when her children had been little. Beautiful notes floated out, wrapping the room like a warm blanket, and comforting all the ears they touched. Cass looked over at the King. By the look on his face you would have thought he had seen an angel. It was the same way he always looked at his wife.

Somewhere in the middle of his mom's performance, Ryker turned to Cass and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "Where is Melody?" he asked. "She would want to see this."

"I'm not sure," she whispered back. "I saw her over there with the Italian prince earlier..."

A look of horror washed over Ryker's face, and he ran out of the room as fast as he could without causing a huge disruption. Cass followed, not caring who saw her leave. By the time she made it out of the ballroom, Ryker was halfway down the hallway.

"Ryker!" she yelled at him. "What is going on?"

He stopped to let her catch up to him. "Prince Feleti is always trying to take advantage of women! Everybody knows that, and right now he's in one of these rooms with my little sister."

Cass had never seen this particular mix of emotions on Ryker's face before: anger, desperation, and fear. Sometimes she forgot that Ryker was not only a prince, or even her best friend, he was also a big brother.

"Don't worry, Ry. We'll find them."

Together, they raced through the palace, stopping to check each room along the way. At some point, Cass kicked off the high-heeled shoes she had been wearing, preferring to run in her bare feet. She was silently thanking her maids for putting her in the short, cream-colored dress that gave her full use of her legs.

They were halfway down the second hallway when Cass heard voices coming from the music room. She stopped and put her ear to the door, motioning for Ryker to come over and join her. She could hear Melody giggling and a soft, seductive, accented voice saying, "We could run away together you know, just you and me. We could go see the world."

Beside her, Cass could feel Ryker go tense all over. "I've heard him use that line before," Ryker whispered. "He gets princesses to go away with him, but he dumps them after a few weeks, once he gets bored."

"Well, I've never been outside Illea, so that sounds lovely," Melody said breathlessly. Ryker moved to stand up, meaning to burst through the doors right then and there, but Cass put a hand on his knee to stop him as Melody continued. "But I have to stay here. My family would be so worried about me. Maybe, I could introduce you to my parents, and we could start dating officially."

The Italian prince spoke again, and Cass could hear the frustration in his voice. "Melody, this doesn't have to be official. We can just have some fun together."

Melody seemed to hesitate, but finally she said, "No, Feleti. I don't think I can-" Suddenly she was cut off, and Cass heard her cry out as something slammed into the wall above Ryker's head. She and Ryker looked at each other for a second, instantly knowing they needed to move. Cass flung the door open and ran inside, Ryker on her heels. She heard him breathe in sharply as their eyes landed on Feleti and Melody. Feleti had her pressed up against the wall and, Cass realized that the sound they had heard must have been the Italian prince pushing Melody. She could feel herself getting angry as she took in the scared look on Melody's innocent face.

Feleti turned around, a smooth smile on his face, and he slid his arm around Melody possessively. "Ah, Prince Ryker. Your sister and I were just having a little talk. We can go elsewhere if you and this beautiful young lady need to... be alone." The implication was clear in the Italian prince's voice even as he raked his eyes up and down Cass's body. Cass could see the fury building in Ryker's eyes, rendering him incapable of speech, and she knew she had to take over.

"Get your filthy hands off of Mel," Cass said, voice ringing out forcefully.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Feleti asked, looking at Cass with disdain.

"A friend of the family who, by the way, is prepared to kick your ass until you cry if you don't let her go." Cass stepped closer to him threateningly.

"Bit feisty aren't you?" Feleti said, but he let Melody go. Cass turned, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw the princess fly safely into Ryker's arms. She looked back at Feleti, only to see he had come very close to her, placing a hand on her waist. "I like to see some spirit in a woman."

"Do you?" she asked, a smile slipping onto her face. She heard Ryker call her name, but she ignored him, choosing instead to pull back and punch Feleti hard in the jaw, feeling something crack beneath her knuckles. That effectively wiped the disgusting smile off of his face, as he uttered low cry of pain. Cass waited a moment, then punched him again from the other side, silently thanking Ryker for the time a few years ago when he had gotten them both into boxing. She could hear him and Melody laughing behind her as Feleti tried to straighten up, fear filling his eyes as he saw the wicked grin on Cass's face.

"Please…" he implored.

"But I thought you liked to see some spirit in a woman," Cass said mockingly, reaching up to grab his shoulders for added power before kneeing him hard in the groin. The prince emitted an unusually high-pitched scream and fell to the floor. Cass turned on her heel, seeing the relief in Melody's face and the look of pure admiration blazing from Ryker's eyes, so strong that she looked away, blushing. "Come on," she said. "He won't be crawling out of here anytime soon."

As soon as they were out of the music room, Melody, who had never been particularly affectionate towards Cass, ran up and gave her a big hug, "Thank you for saving me in there." Then she turned so she was looking at both of them. "...And for finding me. I'm going back to the party, if that's okay."

Ryker pulled her in for one last hug and kissed her forehead before sending her on her way. He started to follow her but Cass held him back.

"Actually, Ry, I have a Christmas present for you."

"Is this going to be like my eleventh birthday when you told me you had a present for me in the kitchen, and then you threw a pie in my face?" he asked recalling one of Cass's proudest moments.

She couldn't help but laugh. "No, it's a real present, in my bedroom. But you have to admit, that turned into one hell of a food fight."

She was right. After the food fight the kitchen had been a mess, and the cook was furious when she found them with chocolate cake and lemon pie all over them. Ryker had taken the blame, of course, as he always did for Cass.

"Alright then. Now I'm curious."

Cass led him upstairs to her room on the second floor. He held the door open for her and then closed it behind himself. When Ryker turned around, Cass was standing in front of her nightstand with the present already in her hands. It was a simple black book, seemingly ordinary to anyone else, but he recognized it immediately. It was the book she always had with her, the one she never showed to anyone. Even her best friend.

"Your sketchbook?" Ryker asked in surprise.

"Yeah," Cass said, looking down and gently touching the worn, yellow tinted pages of her book. "I made it into a sort of photo album."

Ryker took the book from her and sat down on her bed, almost afraid to open it. When Cass sat down next to him and gave him a nod, he tentatively opened the cover. On the first page there was a dedication. _In loving memory of Aspen Leger. I love you, Daddy. _That alone would've made this gift special, but Ryker kept flipping through the pages. Like he expected, each page contained a drawing. He saw drawings of the gardens and the palace, of his parents, Elliott and Melody, piles of books, and almost anything else you could imagine. He did notice there were no drawings of him.

"Cass, these are amazing," Ryker said amazed. He couldn't think of a strong enough word to describe their beauty.

"Keep going," was all she said in reply.

He kept flipping through the book and saw more beautiful pictures until he got to the last page. He pulled it out, realizing that it wasn't actually attached to the book. It was a portrait of him. He was laughing or smiling or maybe both.

"It took me so many tries to get it right," Cass explained as he looked at the drawing. "That's why I had never drawn you before. Then one night it just came to me, though the lips took a little extra time to get down."

"How did you finally know how to finish it?" Ryker asked, only just now looking up from his gift.

"Like this," she said, putting a hand on his cheek. Then she pulled him closer for a single, soft, whisper of a kiss.

They were quiet for a while, just staring into each other's eyes, until Ryker broke the silence.

"I better make a reappearance at the party, or they might send the entire royal guard to find me."

Cass tried to hide her disappointment. She wished she could spend the rest of Christmas Eve just her and Ryker alone, and she definitely did not want to go back to that party.

He must have sensed her disappointment because he quickly added, "Will you meet me in our favorite library later? I can send for hot chocolate and have a maid make a fire so we can roast marshmallows, like when we were little."

"That sound's perfect." She was smiling now, looking forward to being alone with her best friend.

* * *

Cass waited until the noise of the Selected girls coming back from the party died down to go find Ryker in the library. When she came to the large double doors, they were closed. She knocked but opened it for herself when no one answered. The whole room was filled with warmth from the fire blazing in the fireplace, casting the room in an orange glow. The balcony doors were open, letting in a cool, night breeze keep the room from getting too hot.

Ryker was asleep on the longest couch, a book lying across his chest. Beside him on the table were two mugs of hot chocolate, one full and one empty. And, sure enough, there was a tray of marshmallows with two skewers. _I waited too long to come, _she thought. She would not let this ruin her night. Cass impaled three marshmallows with one of the skewers and sat in a chair opposite of Ryker to roast them in the fire.

As she watched Ryker, sleeping by the fire, she thought about something her grandfather told her when she was a little girl.

"_My little Cassie," he had said_. "_Do you know how you can tell you really, truly love somebody?"_

_ A five-year-old Cass just shook her head and pouted at the fact that her grandfather knew something that she didn't. _

_ "When you can watch them, asleep by the fire, all night." He just smiled before finishing the conversation. "I hope you love someone like that one day."_

And now, sitting in the library watching her best friend sleep, all she could think is, _I do Grandpa, I do._


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Thank you SO much for the reviews, favorites, and follows! You guys are awesome! Special thank you to going for the win for the shoutout in your story :)**

**You get to see a new side of Ryker this chapter which is kind of exciting. Let me know what you think!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Christmas morning started out great. Ryker had woken up in the library to see that the fire had reduced itself to ashes, but Cass was there, asleep in the chair across from him. When he shook her gently to wake her up, she claimed she had only dozed off at about six in the morning, when the sun was coming up. Ryker thought she must have been lying though, there was no way she had stayed up all night, just watching him sleep.

Ryker was with his family most of the day- the first time he had done that since the Selection had started- until he stopped by to see Cass and her mother for about an hour. Unfortunately, that was where the fun had stopped. Now, he was standing outside the dining room, about to go in and tell the Selected girls which five of them had made the Elite.

It wasn't the decision that was worrying him, he had been able to make his choices relatively quickly, but rather that he hated seeing the looks on the other girls' faces when he sent them home. He realized it was irrational, but he felt like he was letting them down somehow, that their happiness was his responsibility. His mother had assured him that all the girls who left eventually went on to become influential women in society, but something about the whole process of getting their hopes up and then smashing their dreams of being Queen to pieces didn't sit right with him. He took a deep breath, squared his shoulders, and put on the confident persona he used whenever he had to fulfill some royal duty.

Ryker stepped into the room, and immediately, twelve pairs of eyes were looking at him, all containing varying levels of anxiety. "Good evening ladies, and Merry Christmas to all of you." He paused as a chorus of greetings came back to him, sounding a little more strained than usual. "Now, as you all know, today only five of you will remain in the Selection- the Elite. I know you're all nervous, so I'll read off the names right away to make this as easy as possible."

He glanced around the room for a moment, noticing that a couple of the girls were holding hands, some were nervously tapping their fingers on the table, and others were staring out the window, trying to look indifferent. The only girl looking straight at him was Rose, her warm brown eyes following his every move. She had a small smile on her face, but it wasn't cocky, she just seemed to be patiently waiting, already knowing her fate. He couldn't resist smiling back before beginning to speak again.

"The Elite are: Lady Kiera, Lady Scarlett, Lady Tessa, Lady Lucie, and Lady Rose."

He paused while the room turned into a whirlwind of emotions. Some girls were crying and very few were cheerful, but most of them were busy hugging each other and already saying goodbye.

When he thought he had waited long enough he continued. "I will be in the room next door if anyone needs to talk to me."

Ryker turned and exited the room, dreading the necessary conversations.

* * *

Cass was just finishing a drawing of a bouquet of lilies when she caught sight of the clock. 6:09 p.m.- I was supposed to meet Mom at 6:00, she suddenly remembered. She and her mom had had dinner alone at least one night per week since her father died. Lately, with the Selection going on, they did this almost every day- Cass's best attempt at avoiding the girls. Cass dropped her fresh, new sketchbook on her bed and thought about the quickest route to the kitchen, preferably one where she wouldn't have to see any of the Elite. She opened her door and crashed right into Ryker.

He had been so busy going on dates lately that Cass had barely seen him since Christmas. He was dressed more casually than normal, in a plaid shirt rolled up to his elbows and jeans, like he used to before the Selection began. Ryker was standing just outside her door, about to knock, and he gave her an infectious smile when he saw her.

"Hey, Ry," Cass said as she jumped back a little in surprise.

"I was wondering if you could help me out with something," he said, getting straight to the point.

"Yeah, anything."

"How would you like to sneak out of the palace with me?" He said this with a mischievous smile, something rare for Ryker the rule-follower. Cass was usually the one getting them into situations in which rule bending, if not breaking, was involved.

"Why not?" she said, grinning.

And that is how Cass and Ryker ended up in the back of a black, armored car, rolling deep into the city.

"So where do your parents think we are?" Cass asked out of curiosity.

"You're going to laugh," he said, breaking their eye contact. "Um... I told them I was looking at rings."

"Rings?"  
"Engagement rings." Ryker said this gently, dreading her reaction.

"Isn't it a little early?" Cass said, trying to appear indifferent. "You still have five girls to choose from."

He smiled. "I might have told them I already have a girl in mind."

She let a smile creep onto her face, wondering if maybe she could be that girl, but then she quickly stifled it, appalled at herself. When did I start acting all girly and emotional?

"So where are we actually going?" Cass began to wonder if he was taking her on a date.

"A tattoo parlor."

She couldn't help herself. Within seconds, Cass was laughing so hard that she couldn't breathe. Just the idea of Ryker getting a tattoo was ridiculous, he cared too much about how other people saw him, not to mention the thought of his parents finding out. A story like this would definitely make it into the tabloids. Cass had finally stopped laughing and was about to start teasing him when the car pulled into a small parking lot in front of a shabby looking store. There was a bright, red neon sign above the store that would've read "Tattoos", but the "Os" were faded.

"You're kidding, right?" She asked, suddenly serious as she realized he wasn't joking, but Ryker got out of the car, ignoring her question. "Ry!" When he still didn't reply, she reluctantly followed him into the store.

The inside of the tattoo parlor was as run-down as the outside. The walls and the floors were dirty, and the whole place smelled musty. A middle-aged woman with dark, curly hair and lots of piercings sat behind the cracked counter, reading celebrity-filled magazine. She didn't look up, even when Ryker started talking.

"I would like a tattoo, please." Even with her non-existent experience Cass could have told him that this was not the correct approach.

"No kidding," said the woman behind the counter, her voice filled with sarcasm and her eyes still trained on the magazine in front of her. "Do you have an appointment?"

"I need an appointment to get a tattoo?" Ryker was now thoroughly confused.

"If you want it done here, you do."

His face filled with disappointment as he turned back to Cass and gave her a pathetic shrug. Cass felt her temper rising. She would not tolerate anyone treating her best friend like this. She pushed past him, walked up to the counter, and slammed her hands on the surface in front of the woman, catching her attention.

"Are you going to give him a tattoo or not?" She was speaking with so much force that the rest of the shopworkers turned to look at her. With that, the woman finally looked up, clearly about to deliver some snarky remark, but her face changed dramatically when she realized who she was talking to.

"Your Majesty," she said in bewilderment.

"Do I still need an appointment?" Ryker asked a bit smugly, turning to give Cass an appreciative look.

"No, no! Absolutely not, Your Majesty. Right this way," she said, seeming flustered as she lead him over to an empty chair on the other side of the shop. "I will do it myself."

Cass allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction, glad to be able to help her best friend, and followed Ryker to the chair, standing over him protectively.

"If you would just look at our wall..." the woman said, gesturing toward a wall filled with tattoo designs, but Ryker put his hand out to stop her.

"I brought my own." He was pulling a worn piece of paper out of his back pocket. As he unfolded it, Cass could see a design of swirls, like a word in another language.

अभय

"Sanskrit," the woman said appreciatively as she prepared the needle. "Nice choice. Where do you want it?"

"Oh..." he said as if he hadn't thought about it yet. "My shoulder."

"Perfect!" the woman- Tori, her nametag read- said cheerfully.

When Ryker did nothing she spoke again. "You will have to take off your shirt, Your Majesty."

"Right," he said, quickly unbuttoning his shirt.

Cass gulped and lowered her eyes shyly. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him shirtless before, but things were different now. His shirt was completely off now, exposing his beautifully defined torso, and he handed it to Cass to hold.

The needle was ready, and Tori brought it up to Ryker's bicep, giving him a sign that she was ready to begin. Ryker looked up at Cass where she stood beside him. "I don't want to sound like a whimp, but will you hold my hand?"

As much as Cass was against public displays of affection, she couldn't say no to his face or the undercurrent of anxiety she heard in his voice. In response to his question she reached for his hand and gave it a slight squeeze. She squeezed his hand harder every time he winced, which happened quite often. When the tattoo was completed, Ryker admired it, looking pleased.

"How much do I owe you?" he asked.

"Oh, no, Your Majesty," the tattoo artist said, flustered yet again. "It was an honor. No charge."

"Thank you." Ryker put on his best diplomatic face. "You have done your country a great service." At that point, Cass choked back a laugh. Only Ryker would turn a simple tattoo into some great, heroic deed.

He pulled a fifty dollar bill out of his wallet anyway to tip her. Then he and Cass walked out of the shop, still holding hands. Cass waited until they were alone in the car again to ask more questions.

"So, are you going to explain this to me?"

"I came across it in a book awhile back," he began. "It means fearless. And I have been so stressed lately with the girls' families coming next week, and my parents have been trying their best to help, but I just needed something to give me a little extra courage."

"Ry..." Cass didn't really know how to respond. She wasn't entirely comfortable talking about the Selection, but she desperately wanted to say something to help Ryker.

"Plus, for once in my life, I wanted to do something reckless. I'm always trying to do the right thing, be a good person, and I think I just wanted to do something I wanted, without worrying about the consequences." Ryker looked down at his hands nervously. "I guess I'll be married soon, and then I can't act like a kid anymore... It's all just too much."

"What will you do when your parents find out?"

"I have not thought that far ahead yet. This was a spontaneous decision." Ryker shrugged, a small smile on his face. "For now, I guess I'll just have to wear long sleeves."

Cass laughed. "I still can't believe you went through with it."

"I honestly don't think I could have done it without you there, holding my hand," he said, not quite meeting her gaze, looking down at the Sanskrit on his still-bare shoulder instead.

Cass looked down at her hands- one still holding Ryker's hand and the other his shirt.

"Here," she said, handing him back his shirt. "You should probably put this back on before we get back to the palace."

He had to release her hand temporarily to button up his shirt, but he reached for it again when he was fully clothed.

"What would I do without you?" he smiled.

"I honestly don't know."

"I hope I never have to find out," Ryker said, and this time he looked straight into Cass's eyes as he said it with complete sincerity.

* * *

A few days later, Ryker was standing in his room with his hand on the doorknob, but for some reason he just couldn't bring himself to open it and go downstairs. Logically, he knew that he should be excited for what the day would bring, after all this was the first time he was going to meet the parents of his future wife, but all he could feel was nerves. He leaned his head against the door, hearing the words "future wife" ringing in his head. He cringed as he realized that the future wasn't too far off.

Ryker contemplated simply locking his door and sitting up in his room with a book, like he used to do when he was small. But then his fingers brushed his fearless tattoo. He remembered the blazing, confident look in Cass's eyes when she had stood up to Tori at the tattoo parlor. She had looked so strong, like nothing could stop her. He knew without a doubt that the last thing Cass would do when faced with a situation like this would be to hole up in her room.

No, he thought with a smile. She would stand tall, tilt her chin up, and get that stubborn look in her eyes, the one that she gets when she's telling herself that she won't let the situation get to her. Just that image of Cass calmed him down. Ryker decided to mimic her, turning back towards the mirror, straightening his spine and lifting his chin so he was looking directly at his reflection. He thought about how Cass was always there for him when he needed her, even when she wasn't there physically.

Armed with Cass's bravery, he reached out and opened the door, making his way downstairs and into the huge foyer, which was buzzing with excitement. From his hidden spot on the landing, he could see all of the Elite, each with a group of unfamiliar people around her. All of the girls looked incredibly happy, which eased his mind a little. He was about to turn the corner to go meet all of the families when he nearly ran into a small blonde woman, Cass's mother.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Mrs. Leger," Ryker said. "I didn't see you."

"Not a problem, Ryker," Cass's mom said, smiling warmly. The King and Queen had insisted that Cass's parents call Ryker, Melody, and Elliott by their given names instead of their titles. "Going down to meet all of the families?"

Ryker took a steadying breath. "Yes. All five of them."

Mrs. Leger tilted her head a little and looked at Ryker, her expression remarkably like Cass's when she was trying to figure out what Ryker was thinking. "Are you nervous? I wouldn't blame you, I was never good with new people myself."

"I am a little nervous. Okay, I'm very nervous." Ryker had always found Cass's mother very easy to talk to, much like Cass herself. "It's a lot of pressure, and I don't want to mess anything up."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, Cass thinks you're going to do brilliantly. She told me so last night. She and I both believe in you one hundred percent."

Ryker felt a grin slide onto his face. "It absolutely helps. Thank you so much, Mrs. Leger."

She smiled back at him before continuing up the stairs, and Ryker made it down to the foyer, keeping her words, Cass's words, in his head as he walked up to introduce himself to the first family. He held onto them until he had said goodbye to the last one, Rose's family.

All of the families were all quite different from each other. Scarlett was an only child, so her parents were the only family she had with her, while Kiera, the eldest of six, had a full entourage of younger siblings who started playing a game of tag in the middle of the hallway. He had met Tessa's older brother, who seemed hell-bent on discussing the economy and his machinery business with him, and her two very pleasant parents. Lucie's family spoke in rapid French the whole time and though Ryker had learned French when he was younger, he found he had to use Lucie as an interpreter, which she did gladly. He had to admit that he had liked Rose's parents and little brother best of all the relatives. Rose's parents were just like her, very intelligent and kind, and her little brother reminded him of Elliott a little bit. They hadn't smothered him with compliments, like most of the others had, which was a refreshing change.

* * *

Ryker had arrived at his parents' room, where his father had asked him to come as soon as he had finished talking to all of the families. He hadn't talked to his parents about the Selection in quite some time, so he was looking forward to getting their input. He knocked and went inside. His father was sitting at the desk in the corner of the room, and his mother was sitting in a chair, writing what looked to be sheet music. When he came in, they both looked up and smiled.

"So," the Queen said gently. "How did it go? We could only stay for the first few minutes, but it looked like you were doing really well."

Ryker collapsed on the chair opposite his mother with a sigh. "It was exhausting, but I think I did fine. All of the families seemed to like me, which is a good sign I guess."

The King turned completely around in his desk chair, resting his elbows on the back. "Did you hit it off with any of them in particular? I remember during my Selection, I felt really at home with your mother's family right away, especially her father and May."

Ryker knew that both of his parents were really close with his aunt May and still felt the loss of his grandfather deeply. He tried to image having a connection like that with anyone he had met that day and found that he had been most comfortable with Rose's family. And Cass's mother of course, but unfortunately she didn't count. "I really liked Lady Rose's family. They were very nice and genuine without being overbearing."

His father raised an eyebrow. "So does that mean you're close to a decision?" When the Queen shot him a look, he hastily continued, "We absolutely don't want you to rush into this at all. We know it's a big decision, a huge decision really, but surely you have some thoughts?"

Ryker closed his eyes. "I do have some thoughts as to which girl I like best, but I'm not sure if she's the right one for me. I just need some more time."

The Queen swept her red hair over one shoulder and leaned closer to her son, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know, Ryker, we will support you no matter who you choose, as long as you think you will be happy with her. Your happiness is all that matters to us."

"Really? You would be happy with anyone?"

"As long as you love her. That is our only condition," his father said. Ryker was surprised by how relieved he felt when his parents said that. He knew they were showing him that they trusted him to do what he wanted, not what they thought was best. They were saying the choice was all his.

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

Just then, there was a loud knock at the opened to reveal a maid standing in the doorway with a blue dress shirt in her hand.

"Your Majesty," she said, addressing the Queen. "I have the shirt you wanted."

Ryker's mother stood and clapped her hands together, her eyes lighting up. "This is perfect timing! Thank you so much." The maid curtsied and left. "Ryker, I wanted to give you this. It's a shirt for you to wear when your engagement is announced. There's a small ceremony, and at that point, the last thing you're thinking about is what you want to wear, so I decided to take care of it for you."

"Thanks, Mom. You know me so well, I'd end up coming to that ceremony in jeans," Ryker said, reaching out to take the shirt from his mother's hands. He held it up to himself in the mirror and noticed that his mother had picked a blue that was almost the exactly the same as his eyes.

The Queen came up behind him and frowned slightly. "Hmm, the sleeves look like they might be a little short. Can you try it on for me really quickly?"

Remembering the new tattoo on his shoulder, Ryker gulped. "Uh, sure. I'll take it to my room and come back later."

"Oh honey, your room is pretty far. Just do it now so you won't have to come back."

"Yeah, okay. I'll just change in the bathroom," he said, trying and failing to be casual about it. He was one of the worst liars, as Cass often reminded him.

"Really? You were never the self-conscious type ," the Queen said, looking at him with some concern. "Are you okay?"

At that point, Ryker was fully aware that he would raise more suspicion by going to the bathroom than just changing in the room. He carefully turned away so the tattooed shoulder was facing the door, stripped off the shirt he was wearing and put the new shirt on. His mother came over and fussed with the sleeves, but determined that it fit well and looked even better. Ryker was about to walk out of the room, but his mother's voice stopped him.

"You might as well leave it with me, Ryker," she called after him. "I can take it down to the maids with my dresses so it can be ironed."

Ryker's heart sank. So close to freedom, he thought. He turned back around and took off the blue shirt, setting it down on the chair next to him. He picked up the shirt he had been wearing earlier and nearly had it back on when his father suddenly got up to get the book sitting on the chair Ryker had just vacated, which was unfortunately on Ryker's left side, the shoulder that had been tattooed. Ryker saw his father's eyes land on the black Sanskrit and widen.

"Ryker," the King said, his voice dangerously calm. "Please tell me that writing on your shoulder is not a tattoo."

Ryker swallowed, trying to ease the tightness in his throat. "It is," he said quietly.

He heard his mother gasp quietly, but his father kept talking, his temper rising. "When did you get that? I don't remember any tattoo artists visiting the palace lately."

"I went out to the city a few days ago to get it," Ryker said, making sure to leave Cass out of it. She had only come because he asked her to after all.

"Without telling us?" the Queen chimed in. "Ryker, you know we've told you before not to go out alone. Anything could happen to you."

"I'm fine, Mom. Nothing happened."

"It doesn't matter," the King said firmly. "I'm grounding you for a week, Ryker. You can only stay in your room and the library, nowhere else. For both the tattoo and sneaking out."

Ryker looked between his parents, a little shocked. The King's expression softened. "I know it seems a bit harsh, but I'm doing you a favor too. Taking a week to get away from everything will give you some time to think things over. I think it will end up helping."

Ryker almost smiled at the thought of having an excuse to ignore all the extra guests in the palace, but he tried to keep a sad expression on his face.

"But of course you can be excused to visit the Selected girls and their families," the King continued.

Ryker's face genuinely fell. "Then that's not really being grounded. That's what I do every day."

"Okay, you can be grounded after the Selection is over."

"Oh, I'm sure my wife will love that," he spat at his father.

"Just go to your room!" the King shouted.

"Maxon..." Ryker's mother had gotten up and put a hand on her husband's shoulder, trying to calm him down, but Ryker didn't stay in the room long enough to hear the rest. He slammed the door and ran to his room as fast as he could, wanting more than anything to be alone.

* * *

Cass was on her way to the training room when she heard someone humming somewhere down the hall. Curious, she turned the corner, trying to figure out where the sound was coming from. About halfway down the hallway, a door was open, flooding the empty corridor with light and music. Melody's studio, she thought, recognizing the room immediately. Cass walked in quietly to find Melody working at her easel by the balcony with paint all over her face.

"What are you doing up here all by yourself?" Cass asked her.

She turned around, a little startled. "Oh, Cass. You scared me. I was just painting."

"I thought you would have wanted to be downstairs meeting all the girls' families, not hiding in your studio," Cass said, genuine concern creeping into her voice. "What did you say about the Selection again? 'It's all just so romantic!'" She did her best imitation of a swooning Melody.

"I'm not so sure anymore." She turned back to her canvas, her face filled with uncertainty and a small frown clouding her brow. "It's just been me and Ryker and Elliott for so long that it would be strange having someone else join the family."

"I thought you were excited to finally have a sister,"

"I kind of already have one." When Melody saw the confusion on Cass's face she continued. "You and Ryker saved me at Christmas. You have always been there, Cass. You have been part of our family since before Elliott and I were even born! You have already joined the family, Ryker wouldn't have to bring you in."

"Mel..."

"And I'm not stupid, you know! I know there's something going on with you two. He kissed you. I know that much from what Elliott told me," Melody finished, her exuberance slowly coming back.

Cass smiled. "That's by far the nicest thing you have ever said to me."

She smiled in return before saying, "Hey, do you want to know a secret?"

"Sure."

"When I was little," Melody began shyly, not meeting Cass's eyes. "I wished that Ry would never get married so that I could be queen."

"You wanted to be queen?" Cass asked in amazement.

"I still do," she confessed.

"I think you would would make a wonderful queen." Cass laughed. "Much better than I would be anyway. Could you imagine me wearing a tiara?"

Now they were both laughing- the two sisters who had never been sisters before. Up until then, Cass didn't have any good memories of her and Melody, but she had the feeling that they would make some soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's note**

**Getting near the end of the story with this chapter! This is one of my favorites because of this first scene with Ryker and then some Maxon and America cuteness that you all will love. Thank you as always for the reviews! Keep them coming!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

The sun was shining high above the yellow stucco walls of the palace when Ryker, having stormed off to his room after being allegedly grounded, found himself standing in front of his wall of bookshelves. He ran his fingers over the spines, a small smile appearing on his face whenever he touched a particularly good story. Sometimes it wasn't the stories themselves that made him happy but the memories associated with the book. He realized it was kind of silly, but some of those titles were like old friends to him, making him feel better just because they were there.

Finally, his fingertips brushed smooth blue leather, stopping to rest over a gold-stamped title. Now a real smile spread across his face as he pulled the book off of the shelf and flipped through the pages, seeing places where he had underlined his favorite parts. Even though he had read the story time and time again- he knew parts of it by heart- he never got tired of it. It described the life and exploits of an ordinary man who went out to do extraordinary noble deeds. It was the tale of a hero.

The character of this particular hero had always held an inexplicable appeal for Ryker. He was captivated by the idea of going out on fantastic adventures to help people and always standing up to evil. Ever since he had read the book for the first time, Ryker had tried to be a hero in his own way, trying his best to do the right thing and take all of the responsibility on his shoulders. If he was ever having difficulty with anything, he would try to figure out what a hero would do.

_Yeah, see where that got you,_ he thought. _You thought the Selection would be the best thing for the country and now you're just days away from having to pick a wife from a group of girls you've only known for a few months_. He sighed as he tried to banish those dark thoughts from his head.

Ryker knew that this was the only book he could get completely lost in for a few hours, so he settled himself down in the oversized wingback chair that faced the windows and carefully opened the book to the first page. Immediately he was pulled into the story, living through the characters. He felt pain when the hero experienced tragedy at the beginning of the plot, got stronger as the hero trained to prepare to fight back, felt triumphant when the hero saved the damsel in distress and was victorious over the villain. By the time Ryker reached the final page of the epilogue, the sun had begun set, casting a golden glow over the garden outside his window.

The brilliance of the fading sunlight suddenly reminded him of a time before the Selection when he and Cass had gone out into the gardens to fight. The sky had been exactly the same then, and he remembered feeling just like he was feeling now- calm and ready for anything. In his mind, he could see Cass fiercely attacking him with her wooden sword and pulling her helmet off with a grin after she won, the golden light shining on her hair. Then more images of his best friend flashed through his head: a younger Cass crying in the safe room after her father's death, Cass slashing at a training dummy with single-minded determination, Cass standing up to Feleti with a blazing look in her blue-green eyes.

At that moment, the final piece fell into place and Ryker realized why he loved his favorite book so much. He wasn't drawn to the character of the hero because he wanted to be like him. No, Ryker loved that character because the hero reminded him of Cass- his beautiful, fierce, compassionate best friend. She was a hero in her own right, always having his back when he got into trouble and keeping him sane when everything else had gone to hell. She had even saved his sister, a damsel in distress. He laughed ruefully. He had been in love with her all along but hadn't truly recognized it until now.

Sure, he had known that his feelings for her were more than friendship, but now he knew without a doubt that he loved Cass. He got up and started pacing back and forth, a smile lighting up his face. _How did I not see this earlier?_ he wondered. He remembered his first date with Rose in the library, when he had stopped her from sitting in Cass's chair. His heart had known his true feelings before his mind had. Ryker had even felt more comfortable with Cass's mother than any of the other Selected families.

Ryker started walking faster and more memories came flooding in: the time she had fallen asleep in his arms in the safe room, her holding his hand at the tattoo parlor, even the small reassuring smile she had given him to show her support right before he had met the Selected girls for the first time. She knew him inside and out and had seen him through good times and bad. Cass had been his best friend, his only friend really, for so long. But now he knew with absolute certainty that what he felt was more than that, beyond even the usual "we're like family" label they had put on their relationship.

He stopped in front of the window. "I'm in love with Cass," he declared aloud, unable to stop the smile that crept onto his face as he said it. Just saying that sentence out loud had felt right.

_Okay, _he thought, as the memory of the impending Selection came crashing in like an unwelcome cloud on a sunny day. _I know how I really feel about her. Now the real question is what am I going to do about it?_

* * *

America awoke to the soft, sweet lips of her husband, kissing her out of her sleep.

"Happy anniversary, my America," he murmured into her ear.

Her face lit up with a smile as she opened her eyes to see Maxon perched over her with his best camera in hand. America squealed as he suddenly snapped a picture of her.

"Twenty years," she said with an air of disbelief. "And another picture for your wall."

The king and queen both smiled and held each other tightly as they gazed at the wall opposite their bed. It was filled with Maxon's pictures, most of them of America and their children.

After a short silence, Maxon spoke again, "I have a surprise for you."

"You know I hate surprises!"

"I know, but this is a good one," Maxon said as he bent down to kiss her again. "Get dressed and meet me in the garden in twenty minutes."

America nodded in confirmation as he walked to the door. He paused before leaving, however, and turned back to add something else.

"By the bench where we first met." His face was lit up with pure love and happiness.

Fifteen minutes later, America found herself sitting on the very familiar stone bench where she had had her first conversation with Maxon, anticipating this 'surprise' he had in store for her. She hadn't needed much time to get ready- she just threw on jeans and a simple blouse, and she didn't put on any makeup at all- so she arrived five minutes early. It was early morning, around seven o'clock, and the garden was empty except for the queen and her guards. A little while later, Maxon came out of the double French doors already dressed for the day in his usual gray suit. His smile grew the second he saw her, and he rushed over to give her a hug.

"I love you," she whispered in his ear. Even after twenty years of marriage, it still sent shivers down her spine every time she said those three words, and she never got tired of saying them.

"I love you," Maxon replied in a gentle voice he reserved for his wife.

"So, you have kept me waiting long enough. What's the surprise?" the queen asked curiously.

He held up a finger, as to say "one moment", as he reached inside his jacket for what looked like a small cardboard box.

"I want you to know that I have been looking for this for you ever since we got engaged," Maxon began. "It was fairly difficult, but I finally tracked down the right person. He had made a name for himself, and his family was no longer hungry, so I asked if I could have it. Not only did he oblige by sending your gift by mail, but he also wrote a short note." He took out a yellowish, square piece of paper that was previously hiding under the gift box and handed it to her.

**Queen America,**

**I knew from the moment I met you that you would be the next queen, and may I say that you have done an amazing job! Words cannot describe what good you have done for me and my family. You have given me so much, it is only fair that I give back what is rightfully yours.**

There was no signature. Next, Maxon held out the cardboard box. She opened it carefully, not wanting to break anything delicate. The box contained a heap of old newspaper, wrapped around the real gift. America unwrapped the newspaper and saw, as simple and beautiful as it had always been, her beloved songbird necklace.

She couldn't manage a response with the tears filling her eyes to the brim, so she just looked up at her husband in awe, wondering if this could possibly be real. As Maxon looped the familiar necklace around her neck, she thought about her father: him giving her the necklace, him painting with May in the garage, him suddenly dying of a heart attack during her Selection, and how much she missed him to this very day. The tears came faster now, and all America could do was hold Maxon close and be ever more thankful for her wonderful life.

"You were wearing that necklace the very first time I saw you and nearly every day after, until you gave it away to save that man's life," he said quietly. "That was the moment I knew you would not only be a great wife, but a great queen. My mother..." Maxon choked up a bit. "told me that night that she wanted _you_ to win."

America had only spent a short time with Quen Amberly before she died, but the moments she had shared with Maxon's mother were all good ones.

"I love you so much," America said, finally finding her voice again.

Once the had both calmed down, they sat on the stone bench to talk.

"I don't think Ryker is even close to choosing one of the girls, I really don't," the queen said suddenly, changing the subject from their past.

"How can you tell?"

She smiled. "Mother's intuition."

Maxon sighed in response. "Now I finally understand crying girls, but I have yet to comprehend the complexities of motherhood."

Now they were both laughing, remembering a time long ago, on this very bench, when Maxon came face to face with one of his worst fears: a crying girl who eventually fell in love with him.

"I just feel like Ryker hasn't connected with any of them..." she continued.

"There are only five of them left. Surely he has a favorite at least."

"I'm not so sure," America said. "It seems like he's spending more time with Cass and Elliott than with any of the Selected girls."

"I think he's just trying to avoid the whole situation. It can get overwhelming," Maxon replied. "Unfortunately I didn't have siblings or a best friend to distract me from my Selection."

"I was your best friend," she teased, gently bumping him with her shoulder.

"Yes, but I was supposed to be spending time with you. Cass is not part of the Selection."

"Maybe she should have been..." America's voice trailed off as the thought suddenly occurred to her. "You've seen how they are with each other- and we were friends first too- maybe there is something more between them now. What if they are in love, and we just never noticed?"

Maxon just stared straight ahead, eyes wide, trying to make sense out of what she had just said.

The queen spoke again, laughing a little, but her voice was tinged with sadness. "Could you imagine Aspen watching his daughter fall in love? If it was anyone else he probably would've killed them, but not Ryker. He already loved him like a son."

"America, we don't even know if they are in love."

"Maybe we should ask our son. Maybe the Selection is not what he really wants."

Maxon put his arm around his wife to shield her from the cool, billowing breeze at their backs. "Maybe. But first, I want to sit here for a while and look at my beautiful wife."

"You know what's even better than looking at your beautiful wife?" she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Kissing her..." he replied, reading her mind perfectly.

And then the King and Queen were kissing on their bench, their unwavering love growing with every second. All the sad memories of their pasts floated away, and all the good years came flooding in all at once.

* * *

Cass sat at the table, pretending to eat dinner, but really thinking about anything but the chicken on the plate in front of her. Ryker had been pulling away from her lately, and she didn't know why. Questions kept going through her mind too quickly for her to form a coherent answer for any of them: _Does he just want to be friends? Do I just want to be friends? Is this because of the Selection? What _is_ he going to do about the Selection? Is he going to pick Rose? Would I be mad if he did? _Cass sighed in frustration, and her mother looked up at her with concern.

"Something wrong? You never sigh dramatically like that," her mother said lightly.

"Oh, it's nothing." Cass had never felt comfortable talking about feelings, even with her mother, so she tried to brush aside her mother's interest.

Her mother, however, wasn't fooled. She raised her eyebrows knowingly. "I've never seen anyone think so hard about nothing." When Cass stayed silent, she continued. "Is this about Ryker?"

Cass started involuntarily. "What? Why would I be thinking about Ryker?"

"Cass, I'm your mother, and I can tell when you're worried about something. Is it the Selection that's bothering you?"

"Of course n-" Cass broke off, realizing denial was futile. Her mother was giving her the _I know you're lying through your teeth_ look, and there was no escaping. Cass sighed and flopped back into her chair. "I'm not a huge fan of Ryker doing the Selection."

"Why?" her mother asked.

"I don't know," Cass said, getting more uncomfortable by the second. "We're best friends and I don't want to lose that to some girl he barely knows."

"Is that all?"

"What else would there be?"

Her mother gave her a knowing smile. "Honey, I know that look, the sadness hidden under fake smiles. It's the look you have when the person you love is falling for someone else. Your father used to have that expression on his face all the time."

Cass sat up straight. "First of all, I never look like that. Second, why would _Dad_ look like that?"

"Your father was in love with the Queen when he first came here, and she was in the Selection, slowly falling for King Maxon. I, of course, was her maid. Whenever she walked by him when he was on guard, I saw the flicker of pain in his eyes because he knew he was losing her. I've seen it in you too, whenever someone talks about Ryker choosing one of the Selected girls."

"No, Mom. You don't understand…"

"Oh no, I think I understand more than you even know yourself. Your feelings for Ryker go much, much deeper than friendship, Cass"

Cass closed her eyes, and let her head drop onto her arms, which were crossed in front of her on the table. As much as it pained her to admit it, she knew her mother was right. All of her thoughts cleared until one stood out, plain to see: she was hopelessly in love with Ryker, and there was nothing she could do about it.

"You're right," Cass said heavily. "But it doesn't matter. He's going to marry someone else. I doubt he feels the same way."

"That's where you're wrong," her mother said, squeezing Cass's shoulder as she began to leave the room. Before she stepped out, she turned over her shoulder and said, "Because the look I see on Ryker's face whenever he's with you is exactly the same as the one I know was on mine whenever your father came into the room."

Cass sat back in her chair. Despite everything her mother had said, she knew Ryker better than anyone. If he felt a responsibility to go through with the Selection, then he would. But because she loved him- she knew that now- she would put on a brave face and be supportive. Anything else would hurt him, and that was the one thing she couldn't bear to do.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

**This is it... the last chapter! But don't worry, there will be an epilogue after this. Somehow this ended up being super long, but I think you all will like it. As always, thank you so much for the reviews, and let me know what you think of this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

It was a clear, breezy, perfect Saturday morning, but Cass stayed in bed forty minutes later than she usually did, which was as late as her mother would let her. She had been dreading this day all week long, the day of Ryker's engagement party. The very day before the Queen had announced the date of the party, Cass had clarified and accepted her feelings for him, but now she rebelled against them with all her strength and pushed them as deep inside herself as she could.

Cass had seriously considered not going to the party at all, but her mother insisted. Despite knowing her true feelings about Ryker, Cass's mother seemed determined to save their friendship at the very least. In the end, she knew she would've found herself at the party anyway. Ryker was her best friend, and she could never betray him like that, not for something this big.

She got dressed slowly, sinking into a depressing, gloomy mood. _I'm going, but I don't have to be happy about it, _she thought, feeling like a child who pouts when they don't get what they want. _But I'll look happy for Ryker, even if I have to lie to his face. He's still my best friend._

For the first time ever, Cass began to doubt her last thought. _Were they still friends?_ Of course they were, and, in fact, they hadn't fought recently. But then again, Ryker had been avoiding her all week. She hadn't seen him once, but she hadn't analyzed it until now, thinking he was only busy with the Selected girls. Cass exhaled a large sigh, her mind returning to the day ahead.

Cass imagined the lucky girl's face when Ryker proposed, and the scene made her stomach lurch, and she cringed. She collapsed back onto to her bed and hid under the thick covers. She didn't come out until her mother came in and chided her for almost being late.

"Come on. Get up," her mother said, no pity or consolation in her voice. "You know it will kill him if you are not there."

Cass replied with a groan and then pulled the blankets closer to her, trying to cover her ears.

"Cassandra America Leger," she yelled as she ripped the cover off the bed, revealing Cass's hiding place. "I did not raise you to act like this."

Cass just stared straight up at her mother, her blue-green eyes filled with sorrow.

Her mother could not resist consoling her daughter with a hug. "My poor baby. It will be okay, I promise. I've had my heart broken twice, but I still moved on. And that is why you must go to the engagement party."

Cass chose to remain silent, but she rolled her eyes.

"Tell you what," her mother said in a lighter tone. "If you absolutely hate the girl he picks, we can move."

They both laughed. The prospect of moving was ridiculous. Cass had lived her whole life in the palace. In fact, she had barely even been outside the palace walls. She was born here, she grew up here, her father died here, and all her family was here- not just her mother but Ryker, Elliott, and Melody.

"Okay."

Her mother smiled and walked towards the door. "I'll see you down there."

When Cass's mom had left, she sat on her bed for a few moments to pull herself together, preparing for whatever was about to happen.

The walk down the stairs and to the Great Room felt like hours, though Cass knew it was only minutes. As she approached the large double doors, it was strangely quiet. Her heart sank in her chest. _He must be about to make the announcement. _Cass took a deep breath and let it out slowly. _It's now or never._ She put her hand on the elegantly curved, brass door knob and turned it slowly. She took one last deep breath and pushed her way into the room, dreading with every ounce of her body what was about to occur.

Cass walked into the room and found... nothing. Nothing. The lights were off and the only light came from the windows, whose lush drapes had been drawn back. There weren't any people in the room, and there was nothing to accomodate them- no tables, no chairs, and no platform on which the girls were supposed to sit.

At first she thought she had the wrong time, but surely the room would already be decorated if she was early. _Is this the wrong room, perhaps? _she thought. All her questions were answered when a very familiar voice suddenly spoke from across the room.

"Late, as usual I see," it said.

Cass turned and saw Ryker standing on the other side of the room in a fancy new suit with a blue shirt underneath. It brought out his eyes, she noticed. He was also holding a very perfect daisy. She was too stunned to speak.

"I was beginning to think you wouldn't show up," he continued.

"Ryker," she said, her mouth still gaping. "Where are all the people, all the girls?"

"I sent them home. The girls, the families, everyone." The prince said this simply and shrugged.

"But why? I thought..." Cass began, though she didn't know what to say.

"I don't want to marry any of them. I want you, Cass. I've wanted to be with you all along," Ryker said passionately.

Cass thought this must be a dream. Could it really be this perfect, this simple? All the strength in the world couldn't hold back her feelings now. None of it mattered. She knew now that if he had been saying this to some other girl, and she was standing in the back of the room watching, she wouldn't have been able to lie to him about her true feelings. And now he was standing in front of her, telling her how he felt, and Cass couldn't formulate a response. Her thoughts were too scattered.

All she could think to say was the truth, and she blurted it out in her usual blunt fashion, feeling more vulnerable than she had ever felt before, "I love you."

A goofy smile spread across his face. He walked forward, so fast that Cass thought she might miss him if she blinked, and pulled her in for a hug. Ryker ran his hands down her arms until he was holding both of her callused hands, and then he backed away to look into her eyes. "And I love you," he whispered just loud enough for her to hear. "You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say that."

Cass opened her mouth to say something, but Ryker held up his hand to stop her, an adoring look on his face. "Just a moment, I'm not done yet."

She nodded and stayed quiet.

"I love you Cass, and I want to be with you forever. I don't care if it's now or if it's ten years from now, but I want to be with you. Only you." He released one of her hands to hold out the flower he was holding earlier.

As she took the flower, there were a million questions buzzing through Cass's head, the biggest among them: _What about the Selection? _She knew Ryker had asked her to be quiet, but she had never been very good at following the rules. The words were tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop herself, "You ended the Selection? But it's a tradition, won't people be angry?"

"I don't care," Ryker said, blue eyes burning into hers as he held her hands tighter. "You may not realize it, but you taught me something. You always stand up for yourself and the people you love, and it's about time I do the same. I stand behind my choice about who to love, no matter what."

For once, Cass was speechless. She watched in mute astonishment as Ryker, still holding her hands firmly and never losing eye contact, got down on one knee. "I love you so much, Cass. I love you, and I choose you. Please, choose me.

"Will you marry me?" Cass could see the pure love in his eyes as he looked up at her, but the slight tremble in his hands as they held hers betrayed his fear of rejection.

Cass felt her heart skip a beat because the emotions in his eyes matched those in her heart. The girl who used to be an emotionless block let her feelings overwhelm her. A wide grin spread across her face, and her eyes were bright with happiness. She breathed her response with much more ease than she could have ever imagined. "Yes."

A brilliant grin appeared on Ryker's face as he jumped up to take her in his arms. In the next moment they both moved so their bodies were pressed together, and they were kissing. Cass tried to pour all of the love she felt for him into that kiss, and she knew Ryker felt it as he held her tighter, reaching up to cup her cheek in his hand.

A few blissful minutes later, Cass broke off the kiss, took his hand, and pulled him out the door and into the gardens. "So, Your Majesty," she said teasingly. "How did you arrive at the conclusion that the only one for you is my wonderful self?"

Ryker laughed and squeezed her hand. "You're going to laugh."

"Promise I won't."

"Fine then," he said. "Believe it or not, I found all the answers to my problems in a book."

"Nerd."

"You said you wouldn't laugh!" Ryker said, faking anger and beginning to pull away.

"I wasn't laughing!" Cass said, wrapping her arm around his waist and standing on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek. "At least not outwardly. Continue."

Ryker smiled and put his arm around her shoulders as they continued down the path. "_Anyway_, you know my favorite book? The one about the hero who has all of the adventures and does all the good deeds." Cass nodded. Ryker had quoted that book to her more times than she could count. "Well I was reading it yesterday, thinking about how much I wanted to be like the main character. But then I realized I already had a hero in my life- you. I figured out that I didn't read that book over and over because I was looking for someone to be, I read it because it reminds me of someone I love. At that moment, I knew I wanted to choose you. I had loved you for so long without ever recognizing it until then."

Cass felt a rush of emotions threatening to take hold of her again, and she tried to contain them, but her voice was still a little shaky when she said, "Well, your inner nerd certainly saved the day. I was about to let you go through with the whole Selection."

They were silent for a minute, their footsteps on the stones the only sound, until Ryker broke in. "So, when was your big moment of realization when you realized you couldn't resist me, despite my lack of swordfighting skills?"

"I didn't really have a specific moment," she admitted. "For awhile I denied my feelings, because of the Selection, and then suddenly I was in the middle of it before I knew what had happened. I have been falling in love with you my whole life, but somehow I fell head-over-heels without ever realizing it."

Ryker's face contorted, trying to hold back a laugh, and Cass promptly punched him in the shoulder. "Do you find my love for you funny?"

"No, it's just I'm not used to you being so emotional," he was still laughing. "You are such a girl!"

"Hey, I could rethink my answer. Actually I think I'm having second thoughts..."

"What?" Ryker's face was panicked. He obviously did not catch her sarcasm.

"Calm down, I was only joking."

"Good lord," Ryker said, stopping in his tracks and turning to face his fiancée. "We are getting married."

Cass smiled and looked up at him. "We are getting married."

The she went on the tips of her toes and gave him a peck of a kiss. As she was pulling away, Ryker pulled her back for more. A breeze came through the air and blew her long brown around, covering both their faces.

"We should probably go back in and tell everyone," Ryker said, his conscience getting the better of him.

"They can wait a couple of minutes," Cass said playfully, reaching up to pull Ryker back in for another long, slow kiss. She threaded her fingers through his golden hair, and he rested his hands on her waist.

Ryker pulled back for a moment, though their foreheads were still touching, and whispered, "I really do love you, Cass, so much."

Cass closed her eyes, feeling nothing but joy and wondering how she was lucky enough to have him. "And I love you, Ryker Aspen Schreave, more than you know."

Ryker had an adoring smile on his face as he leaned in to kiss her quickly before he said, "We really should go in now."

"Do we have to?," Cass groaned good-naturedly.

With a mischievous gleam in his eye, Ryker suddenly bent down and picked her up, one arm underneath her knees and one behind her shoulders, causing Cass to laugh in surprise. "Yes we do." He kissed her once more on the cheek before running towards the doors with her still in his arms, laughing the whole way.

* * *

"I feel like I'm floating on a cloud!" Cass exclaimed.

Ryker, slightly out of breath, replied, "Maybe that's because I am carrying you."

Cass laughed, a little more girly than usual due to her giddiness, and let her feet swing back and forth in her fiancé's arms. "That might have _something _to do with it."

He gave her a small smile and a peck of a kiss on her temple before setting her on her feet in front of the tall double doors.

"Mostly because I can't believe all of this. I mean you and me and how happy I am. I can't get over the way you make me feel. You make me feel... complete." She felt as though words could never describe the incredible feeling captivating every bit of her.

He raised his eyebrows at her as his face lifted in a grin. "Miss Leger, lovely though that thought is, I believe you are trying to avoid the inevitable. We have to go in and tell everyone eventually."

"Maybe we could just procrastinate a little bit longer?"

Ryker stroked a loose strand of her dark wavy hair and tucked it behind her ear as Cass's sea colored eyes looked up at him. His hands found her face, framing it perfectly and fitting it like two pieces of a puzzle. He leaned in and gave her a sweet, innocent kiss on the lips, but it was disrupted by her smile. Cass wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in for more, enjoying this new found freedom of being with Ryker. She held him close, as if she might lose him at any second.

Ryker moved his hands down her body, finding it hard to keep them on her face while hers were wrapped around his neck. They found the belt loops on the back of her jeans and fiddled with them before resting on her waist. His whole body felt electrified and alive, as if a fire was burning everywhere Cass touched him. Cass thought that her stomach might burst at any second, and a million butterflies would flutter out.

The kiss grew deeper and more passionate, and one of them was letting out little gasps, but neither one could tell if it was Cass or Ryker or both of them. They were so deep in each other that they didn't hear the doors open.

"I _knew _it!"

Ryker abruptly broke off the kiss to stare at his little brother. Elliott was standing in the doorway with an ecstatic expression on his face. His glasses were askew, and he reached up to fix them.

"So...?" he asked, looking up at them expectantly.

"Elliott!" Ryker exclaimed in surprise.

Cass came to the rescue yet again, saving him from embarrassment, by starting to close the door with a reassuring smile towards Elliott. "We'll be in in just a moment."

Elliott looked back at her with a knowing smirk on his face, but he let her close the door, leaving her and Ryker alone in the hallway again. When she turned back around, Ryker was running his hands through his hair. "I can't believe my little brother just saw me making out with my girlfriend."

"Fiancée," Cass reminded him. "Technically I was never your girlfriend."

"I changed my mind. We don't have to go in," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her away.

"Oh no you don't," Cass said, forcing him to turn back and face her. "Look at me, Ry. You are a Prince of Illea. Get your shit together and face your parents!"

Ryker just rolled his eyes.

"And," she continue. "I'll be with you the whole time."

"Okay, but only if you will hold my hand."

Cass smiled and laced her fingers through his. "I think I can make that happen."

He took a deep breath and moved his hand to hover over one of the brass doorknobs. After a couple seconds, Cass gently put her hand on his, and together, they opened the door.

Inside the room, the Royal Family sat around a grand, mahogany table, their half eaten breakfast plates sitting in front of them. Elliott was standing, telling his family a story in a very animated fashion, no doubt explaining to them the scene he saw outside. At the sound of the door opening again, all four heads turned to see Cass and Ryker walking in the room, holding hands. By the looks on their faces, they all knew what was coming.

But Ryker still stood there in silence, dumbstruck with his mouth agape. He didn't know how to start. He made a choking sound in the back of his throat. "Uh... hi."

"So...?" Elliott said, prompting his brother, even more excited than before. Melody turned around in her seat with a smile mirroring her mother's, and the King's eyebrows shot up in curiosity.

Cass looked at Ryker for confirmation before answering. "We are getting married."

The reactions were almost exactly what Cass had expected. The King and Queen looked very pleased and were chatting quietly in their seats, about the impending wedding, perhaps. Melody let out a high pitched squeal of excitement, and Elliott ran over to embrace his new sister in a hug. For once he seemed like the ten-year-old kid he was and not an ancient philosopher.

"Cass, we'll be family _for real _now!" he seemed about to burst with energy.

"I know," she said, hearing the amazement in her own voice.

Ryker had gone over to talk to his parents about something, and it was Melody's turn to talk to Cass. She walked over, an unassuming smile spread across her face, with her hands clasped behind her back. Being the girly girl she was, Melody was wearing a knee-length sundress decorated with blue flowers and a modest string of pearls. She looked like a princess, very sophisticated compared to the jeans and blouse that Cass had found on the floor of her room that morning.

"I guess we'll be sisters after all," Cass began.

Instead of replying, Melody threw her arms around Cass's neck and pulled her into a sisterly hug, the first of many to come. Then she whispered, "I'm glad it's you."

Ryker had left the room for some reason, and though she was surrounded by her new family, Cass felt far less comfortable with her fiancé gone. The King and Queen had come up now, and they were giving her hugs and "congratulations". From then on, everything was such a blur. At some point her mother had come in and was now joining in the fun. _She had been in on the whole thing, _she thought. _No wonder she was so pushy this morning. _Cass put on a polite smile and tried her best to get through everything until Ryker came back for her.

Thankfully, Ryker came back in and stole her away from their excited families. He grabbed her hand and whisked her up the stairs, promising her, "I have something to show you."

Ryker pulled her along quickly, taking some of the steps two at a time. He didn't seem concerned about her not being able to catch up, and Cass couldn't blame him since she consistently beat him every time they raced as children. At that rate, it only took a few seconds to reach the first lading. She began to turn down the second floor corridor, assuming he was taking her to a library, but Ryker had to pull her back.

"We're not going that way," he said simply, leading her up the second staircase.

"What? Are we going to your room?" She wasn't sure what that would mean to him now that they were together. _Was she nervous?_

He didn't seem to notice. "No. We are going to yours."

This was very confusing. She was about to remind him that her room was on the _second _floor when they stopped in front of a random white door, identical to all the others in the hall. It wasn't Ryker's room. That was one door down. Elliott and Melody each had their own rooms, but those were around the corner.

"Go on in," he said, sensing her hesitation.

The room inside was, for lack of a better word, huge. It smelled of a fresh coat of paint- a nice cream color- and was furnished with simple furniture. The room definitely had a woman's touch. There was a spacious wardrobe, an armoire, and a vanity table with a mirror. None of that is what startled Cass, however.

She was shocked to see that the room was filled with all her things. Her clothes were all hanging in the wardrobe, a few of her books sat on the bedside table, and her sketchbook was sitting on a desk by the window. Also on the desk were dozens of brand new art supplies. She ran her hands over new colored pencils, markers, and paints- all of which appeared in the widest variety of colors than she had ever seen.

Cass looked back at the prince in disbelief. "This is all for me?"

"Everything is for you," he said seriously. "And you haven't even seen the best part!"

He walked over to another door, which Cass had assumed led to a bathroom, and opened it. To her surprise, it didn't lead to a bathroom. It connected straight to Ryker's bedroom.

"So this was all a ploy to get me into your bed?" she joked.

"Only if you want," Ryker replied. "You can have your own bed when you want it." He gestured toward the giant four poster bed in her new bedroom.

"I think," Cass said, smiling and taking hold of the door. "that this should stay open at all times."

"I would like that very much." He smiled and placed his hands in the small of her back, stroking her shirt a bit with his thumb.

"I think I could really get used to sharing a bed with you." Cass turned on her best flirty voice. She was pretty sure she sounded ridiculous, but it seemed to be working on Ryker, who had pulled her closer.

"Oh, really?"

She nodded slowly and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "And... I think we should start now."

Cass fought the bizarre urge to laugh when she saw Ryker's sky blue eyes widen in surprise. She didn't say another word, simply taking his hand and pulling him through the connecting hallway and into his room. They stopped when they were right in front of Ryker's bed, and he was up against the footboard. Cass leaned into him, reaching up and running her thumb over his cheekbone before standing up on her tiptoes and just brushing her lips against his. She heard him sigh and reached up to give him another few butterfly kisses on his lips and jaw line. His hands were on her hips, drawing small circles with his thumbs. Then she drew back for just a moment, smiling when she saw the slightly dazed look in his eyes, before drawing his lips down to hers and kissing him deeply. He buried his fingers in her hair, and when she moved closer, he lost his balance slightly and fell back to sit down on the bed. Feeling Cass's absence the moment their lips broke apart, Ryker quickly lifted her up so she was sitting on his lap, her legs straddling his hips.

Cass gazed down into his face, smoothing back his golden hair. "I love you so much," she said, a smile rising unbidden on to her face.

He traced her lips with his index finger. "I love you too."

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her softly, her silky, shining hair falling in waves around kissed again and again, each one became more passionate as they tried to get closer and closer still. Cass could hear Ryker breathing out her name while his lips were on hers, and feeling his mouth move against hers sent shivers up her spine. Ryker moved away from her lips and began to kiss her jaw, slowly moving down to her throat. Cass gasped. Her hands moved from his shoulders down to the hem of his shirt and slipped underneath to feel the smooth skin and hard muscles of his stomach. Ryker stiffened in surprise but then relaxed, reaching back up to kiss her lips again and letting out a low moan against her mouth.

Cass ran her fingers up the ridges of muscle on his abs until she reached his chest. His shirt had risen up to expose half his torso and with an impatient noise, Cass set to work unbuttoning the blue material as Ryker shrugged the shirt off of his shoulders. Cass drew back and sucked in a breath as she looked at Ryker's exposed chest. Sure, he had always been strong, but Cass hadn't realized just how muscular he was. His face was flushed and he looked down shyly. Sensing his slight insecurity, Cass felt a sudden overwhelming tenderness in her heart. She gently pressed her lips to his, trying to convey all of her love and support without words.

Ryker, stunned by Cass's reaction, spun her around and gently maneuvered them both so Cass was resting against the pillows. He balanced himself over her and looked deep into her sparkling blue-green eyes. He bent to kiss her collarbone, only to find her shirt in the way. Hands shaking slightly, he reached for the top button of her shirt, silently asking her if what he was doing was okay. She smiled, reaching down and matter-of-factly undoing all of the buttons herself. She tossed the top over the edge of the bed, now wearing only her jeans and a steely gray bra, and looked up at him, a blazing look in her eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" she whispered.

"For you to realize that I am in no way deserving of you," he said softly, his hand skimming her sides. He lowered himself a little more to press his lips on hers and felt her shiver at the skin-on-skin contact. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her flush against him, kissing her lips, her neck, and her exposed shoulders.

Cass, not to be outdone, was running her fingers over Ryker's chest, up his shoulders, and down his back. She brought his lips down to meet hers once more, smiling mischievously as she flipped the two of them over so they were both on their sides. Their legs were all tangled up, and Ryker leaned in, pressing gentle kisses onto Cass's closed eyes, her nose, and finally on her mouth, carefully parting her lips with his as Cass stretched one of her legs over his, pulling them closer together until there was no space left between them.

Cass's fingers trailed down her fiance's stomach, stopping to rest at the waistband of his jeans. She bit her lip hesitantly, feeling herself blushing even more than she knew she already was. She knew now that she loved Ryker more than anyone, but she wasn't sure how far they wanted to go. After all, they had been engaged for less than eight hours. Still, everything they had done up until that point had been wonderful and felt completely natural, like they had been together for years. Feeling Cass go still in his arms, Ryker lifted his head from where it had been buried in her neck, seeming to instantly understand what was on Cass's mind. He had an adoring expression on his face again as he quickly kissed the corner of her mouth and said softly, "It's up to you."

He was so confident. Cass hesitated, her hands still hovering by Ryker's waist, as a thought crossed her mind. "Wait. Have you ever... done this before?"

"No." He must have sensed her embarrassment in her inexperience because he continued, joking playfully. "Cass, when would I have met a girl?"

"I don't know," she said, laughing it off. She smiled and gave him another kiss. "I guess this will be a first for both of us."

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

After a moment, Cass simply nodded and moved her fingers to the buttons on his pants. She had been waiting to be with Ryker for so long, without even consciously knowing it herself, and she didn't want to waste another minute. His breathing noticeably heavier than it had been a few seconds ago, Ryker reached down and slid the jeans off, dropping them onto the floor beside the bed. Now wearing nothing but boxers, Ryker pulled back the sheets and laid back down next to Cass, pulling a blanket over her shoulders and absently stroking her hair.

Now hidden by the covers, Cass shimmied out of her jeans and let them drop to the floor as well. Silently, she was thankful that Ryker couldn't see the frilly, girly underwear her mother had given her. She turned back to face the prince, and they gave each other reassuring nods. With that, Cass swung one leg over Ryker so that she was kneeling over him, and she started kissing him along his chest while he ran his hands up her thighs. In one swift movement, Ryker flipped her over so he was leaning over her. She arched her back off the bed as he kissed her neck and pushed her bra strap off her right shoulder.

Ryker reached to push off the other strap as well, but he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He broke their kiss, startled by the sudden disturbance, and stayed still, hoping whoever was at the door would go away. Then the knock came again, this time more sharp and quick. Reluctantly, Ryker left the bed to open the door as Cass pulled the covers over her face. He came back a moment later carrying a silver tray with two steaming mugs.

"I'm sorry," he said, face full of embarrassment. "I forgot I ordered us some hot chocolate."

Cass was disappointed, and she knowingly let it show on her face.

"But I scared the wits out of that poor maid, opening the door in just my boxers." Ryker continued with a smile, setting the tray down on his bedside table.

She sat up against the pillows, laughing but still feeling a bit uncomfortable. She knew it was her turn to say something, but she was at a loss for words. Cass's emotions were swirling inside her, and the only one she could pinpoint was her love for Ryker.

He sat back down on the bed, this time on top of the sheets, and continued, "Cass, I think... I think we should wait."

"What? Why?" Cass asked suddenly nervous. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No! No," Ryker said, consoling Cass by putting his arm around her. "I just don't want to risk moving too fast."

"Well it's too late for that, Ry. Yesterday we were just friends and now... now we are engaged."

Ryker's grin increased at the reminder. "We've waited years. I think we can wait a few more months."

"Well maybe _you_ can," she laughed.

Cass grabbed her clothes and started shimmying into her jeans. He gave her a strange look, and Cass laughed even harder. "Just give me one of those hot chocolates."

Once they were both fully clothed again, they got back under the covers and laid on their sides, facing each other. Ryker had moved the silver tray to sit between them on the bed, and every so often, one of them would take a sip of their still steaming hot chocolate. The couple talked until they could barely keep their eyes open, legs tangled and hands clasped. Between them sat two empty mugs on a silver platter.

"I love you, Ry," Cass said, drowsily closing her eyes.

"I love you too." Ryker's voice was barely a whisper as he drifted off into a dream.


	11. Epilogue

**Author's Note:**

**So this is it... the epilogue! Remember to review if you like it! I have more to say, but I'll let you read first :)**

* * *

**Epilogue**

America stood apart from the rest, watching as her family danced. She spied a girl with long, blond, curly hair twirling around her youngest son, the skirt of her pink dress fluttering around her. His eyes smiled at her from behind his glasses. Next, America spotted her daughter, swaying back and forth in the arms of the King, and dressed in elegant blue like her mother. And finally, she turned her eyes to the center of the dance floor, where Ryker was dancing with his new wife, looking happier than ever.

Cass looked brilliant in her wedding gown. It had a long, flowy skirt of white that faded into gold as it hit the floor. As she moved across the floor, the gold caught in the light and shimmered, making it look as if the dress was on fire. She had golden pearls and jewels decorating the top of her dress as well as her hair.

"It's funny how things work out, isn't it?"

America turned to see Marlee walking up to her wearing a yellow dress that could've been made of sunshine. She greeted her friend with a warm hug. "Yes, but I find it more strange than funny."

"How so?" asked Marlee, eyebrows raised.

"Well, not so long after Maxon and I got married, I figured out that things had to happen the way they did," America explained. "I had to love Aspen before I could fall in love with Maxon, and Aspen had to love me to find Lucy."

Marlee nodded in understanding. She would have never met her husband if it weren't for the Selection.

The Queen continued, still watching Ryker and Cass. "Now I am realizing that it was much more than that. It is like Aspen and I had to fail so that our children could be together. Destiny has truly intertwined our families."

"And ours it would seem," Marlee added, looking at the other prince who was dancing with her daughter. "Charlie will not stop talking about him. She is quite infatuated."

America laughed and turned her eyes back on her husband. "I know the feeling."

"I suppose it won't be long now until you are a grandmother."

"Oh, Marlee! You make me feel so old!"

And, just like that, the two old friends were laughing together.

"Excuse me, ladies." The song had ended, and the King had walked over to join them. He looked right into America's sky blue eyes and said, "I do believe my wife owes me a dance."

She smiled as Maxon took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. She put one hand in his and the other on his shoulder. This stance felt so natural to America now, after years of dancing with him and standing always by his side. The song was a slow violin piece, and it reminded her of the first song she ever played at the palace, at another girl's birthday party.

"Do you remember the first time we danced?" he asked about halfway through.

"How could I forget?" she laughed. "You had a beard and an eye patch."

"Yes, but it was also the first time I told you that I wanted to marry you."

"More like you implied it."

"Give me a break," Maxon pleaded. "I didn't have much experience back then. You are the only girl I have ever loved."

After these many years of marriage, he still knew how to make her blush. But as the scarlet spread across her cheeks, she also felt a small pang of guilt. She couldn't say it back and be completely truthful at the same time. America closed her eyes and let her thoughts wander back to the one person she hadn't wanted to think about on her son's wedding day, for fear she might cry. It was useless; she couldn't ignore him when his daughter was the bride. She remembered Aspen walking her down the aisle on her wedding day and felt even more guilty, as if she had stolen the whole experience from Cass.

Maxon pulled her in closer, allowing her to rest her head on his chest. He knew exactly what she was thinking about. He always knew. Then, out of the silence, he said, "What do you think he would say if he were here?"

She thought about it, imagining him being an angry, overprotective father or delighted that it was Ryker and not some other boy. She said the only thing she knew for certain. "He would tell Cass how proud he is of her."

* * *

Ryker was tired of it all. He was tired of the nurses and the doctors, of his father, telling his own stories of a similar experience, and, most of all, of his mother, crying and hugging anyone she saw. The industrial lights above gave off a terrible buzzing sound, which set the background music for the single word running repetitively through his head. _Complications._

Everything was a blur as the prince stared off into the distance at nothing in particular, chanting it over and over. _Complications. Complications. Complications._ Time brought new faces of new doctors and new nurses, but none of them could tell him anything good. _There were complications. _That's all they said.

"It's going to be okay, son." The King was suddenly behind him again, but, from what Ryker's mother had told him, he had never been good at consoling others. "I'm sure they will have more information for you soon."

Ryker said nothing. His father sat down next to him now, and his mother, who had taken an interest in their conversation, wandered over to them. The King put his hand on his son's shoulder, wishing he could do something to help. Had Ryker not been so anxious he would have shrugged the gesture off, but he just kept staring at the far wall, which had an ocean mural including several dolphins.

"Ryker honey, are you alright?" The Queen asked, kneeling down in front of her son's chair and covering his hands with hers.

That was all he could take. At that moment, Ryker snapped back into reality, standing up so quickly that his mother jumped back several feet.

"No!" he shouted at the large waiting room that was empty, besides his family, because it had been closed off for this occasion. "I am most definitely not alright!"

Everyone stared back at him in mixed emotions of sympathy, pity, and shock. Ryker walked off toward the doors leading to the rest of the hospital. He stopped in his tracks before reaching them and turned around to face his relatives.

"I feel so helpless!" He shouted before pivoting and shoving his way through the double, swinging doors. He dashed away so quickly, with a face filled with such sorrow and rage, that the guards outside didn't dare stop him.

The prince ran through the hallways, aware of the turning heads and snickering whispers, until he found what he was looking for. After turning around twice, and almost getting lost, he finally arrived at the large, clear window. It ran the full length of the wall, and young men stood, looking through it, every few feet. Ryker approached slowly, and, as they recognized him, the young men shied away and went back to their respective families.

He scanned the sea of blue and pink bundles for a baby with a pink blanket, green eyes, and no name card, and there she was. For a moment, all of Ryker's fears and sorrows vanished as he gazed down at the most precious little girl. His frustration and worry were replaced by tears of joy, and he felt like the luckiest man in the world.

That was when people really started to notice his arrival. Men and women surrounded him, and soon they were joined by entire families. They all asked for autographs or pictures or they wanted him to answer their questions, but Ryker didn't take his eyes off his baby girl. It wasn't until a particularly plump and boisterous woman started hounding him that he got angry.

"Prince Ryker!" she said excitedly. Herloud, overly cheerful tones grated on his already stretched nerves. Was it too much to ask to enjoy a private moment with his daughter? "Of all the hospitals to walk into tonight!"

When he didn't reply, the lady took it as an invitation to continue asking questions.

"Now, which one is the new royal baby? Have you decided on a name yet? Oh, how is your wife, Clarissa was it?"

For the first time, he let his eyes trail away from his daughter. "Would you please leave us," he said as sternly as he could without raising his voice. "This is a private matter."

Whether it was the tone of his voice or the tears in his eyes, Ryker didn't know, but the woman backed off. He also noticed that everyone else nearby backed away a few steps. As she walked away Ryker corrected her with narrowed eyes. "Her name is Cassandra, not Clarissa."

A few minutes later he felt a tap on the shoulder and a small voice. "Excuse me, Your Majesty," it said.

"I told you to leave me alone!" he didn't try to conceal his shout this time as he whirled around to meet a very frightened, young nurse.

"I am sorry," she said, even though it was Ryker who should've been apologizing. "I was just going to ask if you wanted to hold her."

Ryker looked at her with grateful eyes, his expression softening slightly as he glanced back at his daughter again. "More than anything in the world."

As the nurse led him around the corner to the door, Ryker wiped his tears again with the back of his hand and cleared his throat. "Um… Is there somewhere I can go to be alone with her?"

The nurse replied when they reached the crib holding the newest princess. "Yes. I will find you an empty room right away."

"Thank you," he said quietly before turning his full attention over to his daughter.

She was so helpless, swaddled in a soft, pink blanket with a matching hat slipped over her hairless head. She didn't even have a name yet, and he wouldn't name her without Cass here. Ryker picked her up carefully, as if she was a delicate, china doll and she might break at any second. He placed one hand gently under her head and the other supported her body. She was warm as he held her close and rocked her gently in her sleep. He was aware of the camera flashes from out the window, but his back was to them so he guessed they wouldn't get a clear shot of the baby. The nurse came back and led them to an empty room across the hall.

"You should be left alone here. I will come update you personally as soon as there is news of your wife," she said.

"I cannot thank you enough."

She blushed and exited the room, leaving Ryker alone with his daughter.

About an hour later, while the still unnamed baby girl was entertaining herself by closing her little hand around her father's finger, the same nurse came back in. Ryker looked up expectantly.

"Your wife is out of surgery, and she is fine." At her words, Ryker felt some of the tension leave his shoulders and was filled with relief. "Would you like me to bring you to her?"

He nodded and stood up as quickly as he could while holding the baby. The nurse led him to Cass's room.

As they reached the door, a doctor in blue scrubs was walking out. He warned, "She is still asleep," and then he walked away.

Now it was the nurse's turn to go. "I'll leave you to be with your family," she said before catching up with the doctor.

_My family, _he thought. _Me and Cass and our daughter. _He liked the idea of having his own family. Filled with hope for the first time on what had been, up to this point, a horrific day, Ryker quietly turned the handle and walked into the hospital room to find his wife unconscious and hooked up to a number of beeping machines. He made sure the door closed silently, as to not wake up the baby, and went to sit in the chair next to her bed.

"Cass," he whispered, transferring the baby to his other arm so he could hold her hand. "We have a daughter."

Cass's hand was cold in his, so he squeezed it, trying to warm it up. It all felt wrong, talking into the silence. Cass should be the one holding the baby, giving her a name. He had thought not knowing would be the hard part, but sitting there, waiting was excruciating.

"She's beautiful," he continued. "But she doesn't have a name yet…"

"Amber," Cass whispered hoarsely as she gave Ryker's hand a weak squeeze. Her eyes fluttered open as she gave him a small smile. "Her name is Amber."

He wanted to kiss her right now he was so happy, but he remembered that he was still holding Amber and it would be difficult. "Cass, it's perfect, just like she is. She takes after her mother that way."

She smiled at him and pressed a button on the little remote that made her bed move so she could sit up. "Can I hold her?"

Ryker didn't hesitate. As soon as she was ready, he stood up and gracefully placed the baby in her arms. Cass looked down at their daughter with the most adoring expression he had ever seen. This was it. His happy ending. He had doubted for so long that he would ever get one, but here it was all the same. Ryker didn't need to be some hero when he was this happy. All he needed in life was Cass and Amber, his family.

**THE END**

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**A/N: And that's _The Hero_! Thank you so much to everyone who read the story. For my first fanfiction, I was really happy with how many people read my writing! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially those of you who reviewed every chapter (you know who you are :). I really appreciated all of your comments, you guys are awesome!**

**Just an FYI, for any Divergent/Harry Potter/Mortal Instruments/Infernal Devices fans, sometime next week I'll be putting up a short story that includes all of those fandoms, so if you're interested, be sure to look for that!**

**Thank you for reading!**

**~mauviafitzwilliamdarcygray**


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